Getting Old
by babysis
Summary: Bella's been moved from foster home to foster home for seven years. She's counting the days until she turns 18 and can live on her own. But when a new "parent", Edward Cullen, takes her in, will she actually want to leave?
1. Chapter 1

Hello, everyone! First of all, I would like to thank everyone who read my first story, _Blind_, and faithfully reviewed. It means a lot. Second, I would like to thank everyone who clicked on this story. This idea has been in my mind for quite a while so I hope you enjoy it! The first two chapters will be written with lyrics in the body, and the rest will be written with a line or two from the song I was listening to while writing. That is subject to change depending on if I feel another chapter needs a majority of the lyrics typed out.

**The first two chapters will also be relatively short, seeing as they are just introductions to the characters.**

Please keep in mind that this is only my second full length story. Constructive criticism will ALWAYS be welcome.

Lastly, the rating is also subject to change. I've never written a smut before so, if I choose to write it, please remember that it will be my first.

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"Bella?"

Bella looked up at the young volunteer. She had blond hair, blue eyes, and a Victoria's Secret model's body. She couldn't have been more than 3 years older than Bella was. _Damn Barbie_, Bella scoffed. She had no curves of her own, so she hated all that did, which was pretty much every girl around.

"It's dinner time."

Bella was silent as she stared at her. Just stared. No talking, no blinking. The worker started to fidget uncomfortably. She would never have come over to Bella if she didn't have to. She had picked the short straw today.

"Um, aren't you—aren't you going to come?"

Bella continued to stare. Of course she was going to come. What kind of question was that? She was skinny enough as it was; there was no way she would skip a meal. _Stupid Barbie_.

"Okay, well, just—just come when you're ready, I guess," the worker said and hastily walked away. Bella cracked a small smile at her unease. _Entertaining Barbie_.

They were all scared of her. The workers, the other children, the prospective parents. It's not that she looked scary. She weighed no more than 110 pounds, had brown hair to match her chocolate eyes, and nothing about her screamed harm. No, it wasn't the physical features. It was the silence. Rumor had it that she was a mute, but that wasn't the case. She chose not to talk. She had nothing to say to anyone. Because they would never understand how it was her fault.

Bella got up and walked to her room to grab her iPod. If she didn't have it on at dinner, that girl would try to talk to her, as always. Bella had nothing against the girl. She was nice and the only one to ever make a real effort. But she was _happy_. Bella didn't like happy people. Not anymore.

_Take me down next to the water_

_Next to flowers and old times_

_I hope the view is still the same_

She was an angry person. Always mad at everything and everyone, even herself. Her anger had caused her to move around through 20 different homes since she became a foster child 7 years ago. No one wanted her. No one tried. But then again, Bella hadn't tried very hard either. She hardly talked, and if she did, they weren't exactly kind words. But that didn't matter anymore. She would be 18 in two months. She could make it on her own. She would have to.

_'Cause I've been losing strength and power_

_Regret occupates my mind_

_I'm sick of loneliness and pain_

Don't misunderstand. Bella didn't like being on her own. She loved people. Well, she used to, at least. She wanted nothing more than for someone to just _try_. To not give up on her. To make her talk. But no one cared enough. Not a single one.

Bella sat at the table and ate her dinner quickly. She didn't want to linger around these people. Despite the fact that most of them were foster kids, they were _happy_. She didn't understand it. It didn't make sense. What was there to be happy about? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. She just wanted two months to past. Just two more months and she would be an adult, all she had ever wanted to be since she was 10-years-old.

_I used to be young and free_

_Worried about my legacy_

_Now I'm aged and alone_

_I'm getting old, and growing up_

_Is not what it's cracked up to be_

_We're just names in stone_

She used to love being a child. Before that day, she loved it more than anything. Being young. Being free. Being innocent. Being so naïve to the evils of the world. Poverty, war, terrorists; it was all so foreign back then. Not anymore. It was all she thought about. It was all she was. It _defined_ her. After finishing her meal, as she walked back to her room, she saw him come in.

He was young; no older than 25. And he was, no doubt, the most attractive, hot, cute, sexy, _beautiful_ man she had ever seen. He had green eyes that _dared_ you to try to look away first, bronze hair that was attractively tousled, and a perfectly fit physique, not to muscular and not too lanky. He looked over at her and they locked eyes. He smiled at her briefly, though it didn't quite reach his eyes, then resumed his walk toward the office.

Bella's heart raced as she continued to trudge to her room, oblivious to the fact that his eyes had drifted back to her, some force forbidding him to look away.

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As I said, that was just an introduction to Bella, therefore it was short. Heads up, I know next to nothing about foster care, so please forgive me when/if I get anything wrong about it.

Review!


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to all who read and reviewed. But, seriously, I know you guys can do much, much better on the reviewing. Please, if you're reading, take a second to review. Thanks again!

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_Beep Beep Beep_

Edward sighed as his alarm clock buzzed loudly in his ear. He had been awake for about an hour already. He just hadn't gotten up yet. This is how most of his days started. He would wake and look at the clock, always reading 7 am. He would then stare at the photograph on his nightstand for half an hour before snuggling back into bed, trying to fall back asleep, but sleep never came for him. He still wasn't used to sleeping alone.

As Edward showered and got ready for the day, he wondered what kind of child he would get this time. This would be the fifth foster child he had taken in. Many wondered how and why someone so young would take on such a responsibility, and he usually would just tell them about his love for kids. He never told anyone the real reason, and he was sure that he never would. Edward finished getting ready and walked outside. He was promptly greeted by his next door neighbor's daughter, Lauren.

"Hey, Eddie!" she cooed. Edward sighed.

"It's Edward," he muttered. Ever since he moved here 3 years ago, Lauren had always been trying to get his attention. She was younger than him by about 6 years. Though Edward agreed that age was just a number when it came to love, he could never....ew. Not with Lauren. She was no doubt attractive, but she didn't interest Edward. No one did.

"Are you heading out?" Lauren asked, her voice cotton candy sweet.

"Yes, actually," Edward responded. "I'm taking in another kid."

"Aw, that's so sweet. It's so great of you to do that, especially when you're _so _young. I mean, you could be dating some of the kids in that home. They're my age."

Edward shrugged and forced a smile, inwardly grimacing at her subtle suggestion. "I've really got to get going, Lauren." Her face immediately fell.

"Okay. I guess I'll see you later." She smiled brightly and ran off to some of her friends hanging out across the street at the Stanley's household.

Edward watched her go. Not because he was checking her out or anything. No, that wasn't the case. He was _jealous_.

_When you're young, you think you're perfect_

_Indestructible and strong_

_Well, let me tell you that you're wrong_

She was still so young, mentally. Nothing horrible had ever happened to her. She lived in a perfect little house with perfect little parents. She went to a perfect little school with her perfect little friends. And, Edward was sure, she thought that everything would always be perfect. She had no idea about what was out there. Cancer, multiple sclerosis, Huntington's. Being a second year medical student, Edward read about everything out there. Things that ruined lives. Things that took lives. Edward could only wish to go back to the days when he was still oblivious to the cruelties of life.

Edward let out another sigh as he pulled up to the home. He sympathized with the children. They had nothing. They had no one, just like him. _No_, he scolded himself. _You have family._ It was true. He had two wonderful parents, an older brother, and a younger sister, plus their significant others. He had a family, yes, but it wasn't complete. Not anymore.

_'Cause I have watched lives come and go_

_My God, I've seen my children die_

_Respect and glory are just talk_

As Edward walked in, his eyes immediately connected with a young lady walking toward the bedrooms. Her chocolate eyes bore into his emerald, making his breath hasten. He realized he was staring and gave her a small smile before continuing on to the office. As he sat down to wait for the last parents' appointment to be over, he couldn't help but to look back at the young girl. The first thing he noticed was her astounding beauty. She had just the right amount of curves, and those eyes, oh, those eyes. He could spend forever staring into them. Her hair was a wonderful shade of brunette, which he personally preferred. Everything about her was beautiful; her luscious lips, the slight blush that had crept up when their eyes locked, even the way she walked. The second thing he noticed was the way her shoulders were weighed down. _She's too young_, Edward thought. _She's too young to have the weight of the world on her_. He couldn't help but to wonder why she was in foster care. Edward felt a small tug at his heart as he thought of what could have happened to her, of what she had gone through. _She must be getting out soon_, he mustered. _She's at least 16_.

"Mr. Cullen?"

Edward looked up as the owner of the home called his name. He gave a polite smile and walked into her office. He knew she was talking to him about things he had heard five times now, but he didn't hear a word she said. He couldn't stop thinking about those eyes.

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Once again, short due to the content. Review, pleeeeeease? It would mean a lot, and would definitely help the next chapter along. :)


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you so much for the reviews! Please be faithful and review on the many chapters to come. Thanks again!

So I know I said I'd post lyrics from the song I had on repeat, but the song I had on is really irrelevant. It has nothing to do with the chapter. My boyfriend broke up with me a few weeks ago so...yeah. I was just listening to "Stupid Boy" by Keith Urban.

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"Any age preference?" Julie, the coordinator of getting foster children a home, asked Edward. She had been going through a round of the typical questions, and Edward's answers were the same as always.

"No, ma'am," he replied. Julie sighed and starting shuffling papers on her desk.

"I can see that this time is going to go just like all the others."

Edward smiled. "Yes, ma'am, I do believe it is." What could he say? He just didn't understand how people could choose one age, gender, or race over another. All of them needed a home and someone to love and care for them. Those things didn't matter. They had all been through the worst thing in the world...losing everyone they loved. Julie stood up.

"I guess we'll do the same as usual, Mr. Cullen. Go around and talk to a few of the kids that catch your eye."

Edward stood and shook her hand. "Thank you, Ms. Wilson." With that, he left to the lounge area. It had a TV, a stereo system, a pool table, three couches, and three matching lounge chairs. Some of the younger kids were watching Spongebob while most of the older were either playing pool or sitting with their iPod or a book. He couldn't help but to look for the girl he had seen earlier, but she wasn't there. Edward assumed she was still in her room. He had intended to go to her first, but opted for one of the young children watching TV instead. She was about 5-years-old with blond hair and green eyes. Edward walked over and sat down next to her on the couch.

"Hello," he softly greeted. "I'm Edward. What's your name?"

The little girl took the thumb she had been sucking out of her mouth. She replied, shyly, "Jenna." Edward smiled invitingly.

"Hi, Jenna. What are you watching?"

"Spongebob."

"Do you like this show?"

She turned to him with a wide smile. "It's funny! 'Specially Patrick."

Edward returned her smile. This girl was adorable, no doubt, but they just weren't clicking. There was no spark; not like the one he had felt with the other kids. He would feel horrible when he walked away from her, and he would probably think of her for days, but she wasn't what he was looking for. Not this time.

"Well, Jenna, it was very nice meeting you." She smiled at him one last time before returning her attention the the TV screen. Edward got up to walk over to the pool table. He decided on talking to one of the boys. He looked to be about 11-years-old, was quite scrawny, with brown hair and brown eyes. _Just like that girl_, Edward thought.

"Hello," Edward started. "What're you guys playing?"

"What's it look like we're playing?" the boy rudely retorted. "It's obviously pool." He turned toward his friends and muttered, "Idiot." They shared a low chuckle. Edward raised his eyebrows. No, this _definitely _wasn't the one. Though Edward knew that something had happened in the boy's life to make him act that way, Edward was not one to put up with disrespect. He was raised to be respectful to everyone that crossed his path. He would not tolerate rudeness.

"Get your act together," Edward returned. "And someone just might take you in." The boys stared at him wide-eyed. He walked away and scanned the room. No one was catching his eye. He sighed. He could usually pick one out the second he walked in, but this time—wait. Someone _had_ caught his eye. But where was she? Edward surveyed the room once again. She still wasn't there. Why wasn't she hanging out with the other kids? He hadn't even said a word to her and she was already intriguing him. Edward turned and headed back to the office.

"Anyone get your attention?" Julie asked. Edward shook his head. "Huh. You usually find the one pretty quickly."

Edward sighed and looked back out the office window, only to discover the girl coming out of her room and heading to the dessert table.

"I want her," he immediately said without even realizing it. Julie creased her eyebrows together.

"Who?"

"Her." He pointed out the window. "The brown haired one." Julie looked out the window and, when she saw who he was pointing to, her eyes widened with shock.

"You mean Isabella?"

_Isabella_, Edward mentally repeated. _Beautiful_.

"Yes," he confirmed. Julie started to fidget.

"Isabella is...different, Mr. Cullen. She—she doesn't talk. Ever. I've never heard her utter a word."

Edward stared at her. "So?"

"So..." Julie shook her head. She was confused. Why would he want her? "So do you really want to have to put up with that? I mean, there are lots of other kids. Kids that talk and laugh and--"

"I want her," he firmly repeated.

"Mr. Cullen," Julie started. "Isabella has been in twenty different foster homes since she came here seven years ago. I'm not kidding when I say that she doesn't talk. She doesn't say anything. We hardly even see her. She locks herself up in her room. She doesn't _want _to be taken in."

Edward looked at her sharply. "How could you _say_ that? Every single one of these kids wants a home and a family. Some might express it more than others, but they all want it. They want someone to love them again. No disrespect intended, ma'am, but if that's the way you think, I don't believe you should have this job. Good God, you talk about her like she's the damn plague!"

Julie's face turned hard and emotionless. "Fine. If it's Isabella you want, it's Isabella you will get."

Edward forced a smile. "Thank you, Ms. Wilson."

"Thank _you_, Mr. Cullen. You've given a lot of kids hope. Now, just fill these papers out when you can--"

"I'll do it now," he insisted. Julie stared at him, shocked.

"Eager, Mr. Cullen?"

Yes. Yes, he was eager. When he had looked into Isabella's eyes, he saw the sadness, the pain, the heartbreak, the _guilt_. He hated it. He wanted it gone as soon as possible. And he was determined to be the one to make it go away, for her eyes to sparkle as he was sure they once did. He nodded in response to her question.

"Okay, well, I'll be with some other clients, but I'll be around. Just find me when you're finished." She handed him the paperwork and left.

Edward moved to a more comfortable seat in the waiting room to fill out the papers. It didn't take him long, seeing as he knew exactly what he was filling out by now. He found Ms. Wilson and handed her the papers. She told him they'd be contacting him in a few weeks, politely smiled, then he was on his way out. As he was leaving, he spotted Isabella walking back to her room. They locked eyes once again and he smiled, a real smile this time. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion at his...enthusiasm, but she smiled back nonetheless before going back into her room.

He had seen it again. All of the hurt her eyes held. Julie was right. She _was _different. Her eyes held something that all of the other kids didn't have. The other kids carried pain, yes, but not like her. She was different, and he wanted to know why. He wanted to know why shame and guilt were present in her chocolate orbs. The only thing Edward was sure of was that they shouldn't be there. Whatever they were there for wasn't...right.

Despite all of this, Edward couldn't help but to be overly ecstatic. He didn't know what it was about this girl, but he suddenly wanted to know everything about her. How she got here, how the other families treated her, why she didn't converse with the other kids, what happened to her family, but not only touchy questions such as those. He wanted to know about _her_. Her favorite color, whether she liked to eat breakfast food for dinner, what her favorite school subject was, her favorite bands. He wanted to know everything. But he could wait. The process wouldn't take the long; three weeks at the most. Edward had...ways to make it speedy. _It's who you know_, his father always used to tell him, and he had grown to learn that it was true. He was impatient enough to be jittery, though. As he fell asleep that night, he couldn't ignore the fact that he anticipated being able to gaze into those eyes everyday.

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Review, please? :)


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks once again for all of your reviews! Keep them coming!

So _now _I'm actually going to post lyrics to the song I listened to while writing. I wouldn't be able to write without music.

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"Are you there?, how I long to be with you, are you there?, listening to my despair, standing right at the shore, knowing life is so much more, I said what she wanted to hear, pretending that my mind was clear, it's a lie, it's a lie" - "Medication" by Waking Ashland

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Edward smiled as he entered the foster home. Just as he had suspected, Julie had called two weeks later for him to come in and meet Isabella. He could hardly contain his excitement and, quite frankly, his curiosity. He wanted to know everything about her, even though he knew it would probably take some time. She was quite known for being silent. But that was fine. He would take all the time in the world if he had to. Edward shook Julie's hand as he entered the office.

"Mr. Cullen," she greeted. "It's nice to see you again."

"The feeling is mutual, Ms. Wilson," he cheerfully replied. They both took a seat.

"I believe you know the procedure by now, Mr. Cullen."

"Yes, ma'am."

She smiled politely. "Just so there's no possibility of my getting sued, I still have to run through them. Isabella is required to give you fifteen minutes to talk to her. After that, it's up to her whether to stay or go back to whatever she was doing before we dragged her in here. There will be no harassing, verbally or physically, and the video camera over there," she pointed to a corner of the wall, "will tell us whether you have done either of those things. You may ask personal questions, but Isabella is in no way required to answer them. Any questions or concerns before we let her in, Mr. Cullen?"

Edward shook his head eagerly. He really wanted her to just leave already. Isabella was waiting on the other side of that door. Julie smiled again.

"Okay, then. Let her in, George," she called to the volunteer standing outside. The door opened and Isabella came in, her arms wrapped protectively around her midsection. She had on jeans and a blue hoodie that complimented her complexion. Her eyes were directed at the ground. Edward stared at her, trying to make eye contact, but her focus wouldn't budge.

"Have a seat, please, Ms. Swan," Julie said as she gestured to the chair beside Edward. She didn't move. Julie sighed. "It's only fifteen minutes, Isabella. Then you can go if you so desire. Please have a seat next to Mr. Cullen." Isabella rolled her eyes before sitting down, quickly redirecting her gaze to the carpeted floor. Julie looked at Edward and opened her mouth to remind him once again that they were plenty of other children, but he wasn't paying her any attention. His gaze was solely on Isabella, his face holding a sullen expression. It was like he could feel the pain coming from Isabella, adding on to his own personal agony. Julie cleared her throat uncomfortably.

"Well, I'll just leave you two alone. Just fifteen minutes, Ms. Swan, and you'll be free to go." Isabella made no notion that she even heard Julie speak. With another large sigh, Julie left the room.

For five minutes, they didn't talk. They sat in silence. Isabella was quite aware that Edward was staring at her. What she didn't know was that he wasn't staring, he was _studying_. First, her physical features. She was too skinny, he decided. He'd have to fix that when he brought her home. He also decided that her leanness didn't take away any of her insurmountable beauty. Her hair looked so astoundingly silky that he had to resist the urge to run his fingers through it. Her eyebrows were perfectly arched, her cheekbones perfectly placed, her lips perfectly plumped, her nose a perfect button. And then there was her eyes. They were the most beautiful that Edward had ever seen. The brown in them was perfected by slight gold specks, if you looked hard enough, which he was. They had depths; depths he could only hope to get to the bottom of one day. But they also held so much pain, distress, misery. Edward knew that they shouldn't. They should have light, warmth, _love_. He was once again overcome with determination to take her pain away and put the light back in her life.

"Hello," Edward finally said, breaking the silence. "My name is Edward Cullen. Isabella Swan, correct?"

Just like before with Julie, Isabella didn't acknowledge that he had spoken. He smiled.

"I'll take that as a yes. How are you feeling today?"

She continued to stare at the ground, expressionless. Edward nodded.

"I know the feeling. I'm like that sometimes. I was just wondering why you don't hang out with the other kids..."

She didn't move a fraction of an inch.

"Isabella?" Edward asked softly. Nothing changed, so he nodded.

"Not a socializer. Understandable. We can't all be extroverts, right? Nothing wrong with that." He rubbed his hands together. "Well, since you don't feel like talking right now, which is perfectly fine, how about I tell you about myself?"

She blinked. Edward smiled.

"Okay, well, I already told you that my name is Edward. I'm 24-years-old and I'm in my second year of medical school. I take online courses through Dartmouth. I work as a physician's assistant at the hospital down the road. I'm not quite sure what area I'd like to specialize in, but surgery interests me a great deal. Um...I moved here three years ago for...personal reasons. I've been taking in foster children ever since. If I don't have a kid with me, I still try to help out the home as best I can. All the couches and TVs and iPods and whatnot? I bought them and donated them to the home. My bank account allows me to live quite comfortably, therefore I often donate to charities. My father, Carlisle, is also a doctor, and my mother, Esme, is a interior designer. My younger sister, Alice, is at Harvard majoring in English, as is her boyfriend of five years, Jasper. My older brother, Emmett, owns an auto body shop with his fiancée Rosalie. Let's see...I live about ten miles from here. My house is back in the woods, seeing as my family is very outdoor-sy and I like my privacy. I think I've covered all of the basics. That is, unless you have any questions..."

All through the time Edward was talking, Isabella still didn't move her gaze from the floor, or uncross her arms, or make any noticeable movements. Edward smiled once again.

"Okay. It's been..." He looked at his watch. "Twenty five minutes. Huh. You didn't leave. I wonder why that is."

Bella still didn't move. She hadn't left because...well, she just didn't want to. She didn't know why, but she liked this guy. She wanted to spend time with him, even if he was just rattling on about stuff she really didn't care about. Well, no, that wasn't true. She did care about what he said. Why that was, she hadn't a clue. But she wanted to hear what he had to say. He was different than the other families that had talked to her. They had all questioned her ruthlessly until the fifteen minutes was up, and Bella had left immediately. Edward didn't. He was okay with her silence...and she liked that.

"Mr. Cullen?" Julie poked her head in before entering the office completely. "How'd it go?"

"It went quite well, actually," he replied with a smile.

"She talked?" Julie asked incredulously.

Edward shook his head. "No, she didn't talk, but there's nothing wrong with that."

Julie stared at him in confusion. "You think there's nothing wrong with the fact she doesn't say anything _at all_?"

Edward shook his head.

"Mr. Cullen," Julie started, "I know you probably think you can get through to her, but you can't. I assure you that we've all tried. The workers, the kids, the families, everyone. She doesn't talk. She doesn't want to. She doesn't _like_ people and she doesn't like socializing. I will once again remind you that we have many other children that would--"

"_I want her_," Edward once again insisted. "I want Isabella, and it's Isabella that's coming home with me next week. And stop talking about her like she's not here. She can hear you. She's not deaf. She also isn't an emotionless zombie. She's a human being. She has feelings, so stop making prejudices against her just because she doesn't like to talk. So what? She's been through so many horrible things; things you and I could probably never imagine or wish on anybody, not even our worst enemies. I'm sure Isabella has a perfectly good reason why she doesn't talk. And maybe if you didn't ignore her like she's last week's newspaper, she'd open up a little. But you people won't even give her a chance. You won't try." Edward stared intently at Julie as she stood dumbstruck before softly adding, "But I will."

The room was silent for what seemed like hours. Edward moved his focus from Julie to Isabella. She had turned her body in the chair and was staring at him fixedly with her mouth slightly agape. He smiled warmly at her and felt joy at being able to look into the eyes he had so carefully studied earlier. She immediately snapped away from the gaze and left the room. Edward watched her go before turning his attention back to Julie.

"Now, Ms. Wilson, if you could please give me the final papers so that I can sign them. I expect Isabella to be ready to leave with me on Monday. Are we clear?" His tone didn't give her an option. She mutely nodded before moving behind her desk, opening a drawer, and getting out the papers. She stapled them together before handing them to Edward. He smiled amiably.

"Thank you, Ms. Wilson. I'll see you next week." He left with Julie staring after him, still unable to form a coherent thought.

Edward got in his car and smiled to himself. She had turned around. She had looked at him. She had _listened _to him. It was progress, he decided. She just needed some time and attention.

_Small steps_, he reminded himself. _Small steps_.

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Now, if you would be so kind as to review, I would greatly appreciate it.


	5. Chapter 5

So every chapter is going to start the same. Me thanking everyone for reviewing. One thing I noticed, though...at the current moment, I have 47 people on alert. Shouldn't I be getting about the same amount of reviews every chapter? Just a thought...

This chapter isn't going to have a song quote because I just couldn't think of a good song to represent it. I just listened to random songs the whole time, from Britney Spears to Sum 41 to Alkaline Trio. Yeah, that's how I roll.

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Edward once again arrived at the foster home with a grin on his face and a soaring heart. Isabella was coming home with him today. He expected her to be silent. He expected for her to go straight to her room when she figured out which was hers. He expected for her to lock herself in there for days. And he was okay with that. She needed time, and he would be the one to finally give it to her. He wouldn't give up. Edward absolutely refused to give up on her. Everyone had, but he wouldn't. He entered the office for what seemed like the billionth time and shook Julie's hand, as always.

"Mr. Cullen," she greeted stiffly. She obviously hadn't gotten over his little speech from last week. He smiled.

"Ms. Wilson. Isabella is ready, correct?"

She nodded. "She's just grabbing a few more things then she'll be here. As always, I have prepared an information sheet about Isabella. Just the basics. Now, you should know that her birthday--"

"Stop!" he yelled. He took the papers from her hands and tore them to shreds without even glancing at them. "I'll find out the basics about Isabella from her own lips."

Julie shook her head. "You're very persistent, Mr. Cullen."

He face broke out into a boyish grin. "Yeah, I know. Get it from my mom."

"That's very nice," she politely replied. They sat in an awkward silence until someone knocked at the door.

"She's ready, Ms. Wilson," George called from outside.

"Send her in."

The door opened and Isabella came in. Her gaze went straight to Edward. He smiled at her once again, but she didn't return it. Just stared. But it was different from her looks before. It wasn't angry or cold or distant. It was curious and, Edward thought, somewhat excited. Edward didn't noticed that Julie had been talking until Isabella broke the gaze. He'd been too busy enjoying looking into her eyes.

"Mr. Cullen?"

Edward snapped his head toward Julie. "Um, yeah, right, Ms. Wilson. I got it. Promise." He was sure he had already heard whatever she was just saying. He stood. "Ready to go, Isabella?"

She responded by looking at him, looking at the door, and then back at him. He beamed at her before thanking Julie for the last time. He made a motion with his hands for Isabella to exit the room first. His mother had taught him that chivalry would never die if someone kept it alive, and that her sons would be those someones. They left the building and walked to Edward's car. He chuckled as Isabella's eyes widened.

"It's a Volvo," he said. "C30, version two. Silver metallic."

She stared at him. She didn't speak _Car and Driver_.

"It's a nice car. Go ahead and get in. I'll put your bags in the trunk." He proceeded to do so before climbing in the driver's seat. "Do you mind if we roll the windows down? It's quite a nice day." She made no movement of protest, therefore Edward rolled the back windows down. "Do you like music? No, wait. That's a stupid question. Of course you do. I hope you don't mind classical."

She didn't mind at all, actually. It helped soothe her, and it reminded her of the mother. Renee used to play classical music when she cleaned the house or gardened. Bella's eyes watered a little at the memory, but quickly blinked the tears away. She didn't want Edward to think she was that weak.

The rest of the car ride was silent except for Edward's quiet humming to the music. Bella had studied him in the meantime. He a strong jaw, she observed, and his hair was like permanent sex hair. And his eyes were so amazingly emerald that the greenest place on Earth would have been put to shame. She stopped her examination as they went a few miles off the main road until they ended up at a house. _No, not a house_, Bella thought. _It's a freakin' mansion!_

Technically, it wasn't a mansion, but it was bigger than any house Bella had ever seen. It was larger than your average home, but not quite a mansion. It had many windows and pure white panels. The wrap around porch was a deep shade of mahogany, contrasting with the rest of the house, but still working very well with it. Edward took Isabella's bags out from the car.

"Shall we?" he suggested, gesturing toward the house. She walked up the steps to the porch and stopped at the door. "It's unlocked." As Bella entered the house, her breath was taken away.

It was beautiful. The paint on the walls greatly complimented the furniture and the wooden floors. It was all so bright and elegant. Bella reminded herself that Edward's mom was an interior designer. Of course everything looked amazing.

"Would you like to see your room?" Edward asked. Isabella nodded once. He smiled. "Right this way." He led her up the stairs and down a wide hallway before coming to a stop. "This is your room." He nodded to the door in front of him. "That's mine." He jerked his head backward to indicate the room behind him. "The bathroom is down the hall on the left. I cleared out my stuff so you could have it to yourself. I'll use the one downstairs."

_You shouldn't have_, Bella thought. _It's your house. You should have the best bathroom. You're too nice. What's wrong with you? Why aren't you married yet?_

"I was just about to make some dinner if you're hungry. Spaghetti. Mom's recipe."

Bella shook her head reluctantly. As much as she desired to spend time with him, she wanted to get settled in and go to bed first. Edward smiled.

"Okay, that's fine. I'll put some in the fridge for you to heat up later if you get hungry."

_Thank you._

"You're welcome," he said as if he could read her thoughts. He smiled again before walking back downstairs.

Bella sighed. For one, she really wished he'd stop referring to her as Isabella. She hated it. Two, he was being way too nice. She didn't deserve all of this. She couldn't help but to feel guily. She was about to enjoy living in luxury while there were still kids at the home that had nothing. She wish for them the best. Third, this man was _rich_. All of the furniture had designer tags, as did his wardrobe, she noticed. Bella opened to door to her room, picked up her bags, and walked in.

It was more than she had ever seen in a bedroom. The bed itself was no doubt king sized yet it barely took up a small fraction of the room. There was a desk with a laptop on it and a full bookshelf next to that. There was an antique dresser next to a flat screen TV hanging on the wall. She put down her bags and circled in place. This was amazing. Her eyes landed on the closet door. She smiled. _If this is the bedroom, what is the closet like?_, she wondered. She hopped over to it, took a breath, and opened.

It was huge. The closet was bigger than her entire room at the foster home. It had hangers galore and three shoe racks, along with two body length mirrors. She was astounded. _My clothes won't take up a third of this_, she mused. After unpacking all of her bedroom needs, she took her toiletries down to the bathroom. It was no less amazing than the rest of the house, as was expected. The bathtub had those jet things in it. _I have_ got_ to try that sometime_. The sink was made of marble and the tiles had intricate designs on them. Bella shook her head. How someone could afford all of this, she didn't know.

Bella went back to her room and gave into the urge to run and jump on the bed. It was perfect. Not too soft, not too hard. She could get used to this. She liked it here. Edward was nice and he was trying, really trying, unlike the rest of them. She liked him, maybe in more ways than one. _Ew, Bella, stop it_, she scolded herself. _He's your foster parent_._ Extremely hot foster parent, that is. _The internal battle went on until her eyes started to drift.

And for the first time in seven years, Bella didn't cry herself to sleep.

* * *

So I was gonna have Edward give her an entire tour of the house, but that'd be boring. I always skip that part in people's stories. No offense if you did it in one of your stories. I just think you get the idea. Everything is expensive, beautiful, and it matches. The end.

Review?


	6. Chapter 6

As always, thanks a bunch for all of the reviews!

* * *

"And she wants someone to see her, she needs to hear she's beautiful, she's beautiful, I want to save you, I want to save you, I need you to save me too, I want to save you" - "I Want To Save You" by Something Corporate

* * *

Bella woke up startled. Where was she? This was definitely not the home. The bed was actually comfortable and the room was huge. Surprising contempt washed over her as she remembered everything. She inhaled as the scent of eggs and bacon caught her attention. _Edward must be awake_, she thought. Bella halted as she started to get up. Could she go down there like this, pajamas and bed hair? Was she supposed to shower and make herself presentable first? Edward was definitely high class. Wasn't that how they did things? She felt sudden discomfort. Did she actually belong here? Bella had no experience with high society people. How was she supposed to act? Was he strict about manners? Did she have to do things like keep her elbows off the table or drink with her pinkie pointed? Another whiff of food passed her nose, and she suddenly didn't care about any of that anymore. She was _hungry_. Bella got up, all thoughts of being presentable forgotten, and headed down the stairs.

To her relief, Edward was still in his pajamas, too. He hummed along with the radio as he cooked. Bella had to remember to breathe. It had always been a fetish of hers—to see a man cooking in his pajamas, which consisted of plaid pants and a wife beater. It fit him very well, she noticed. A little _too _well for her own good. Bella couldn't help but to notice the way his bare arms flexed as he flipped the eggs or the way his shirt moved against his inevitable six pack when he moved. _This _cannot _end well_, she inwardly groaned. Or so she thought. Edward sharply turned in her direction after hearing her verbal expression. He smiled.

"I'm guessing that groan means your hungry?" he inferred. She nodded. It was partly true, but there was no way she was going to show any signs of being attracted to him. "Good. It's just about finished. If you could just get some cups out for the juice..." Bella stared at him. He chuckled. "Sorry. Forgot you just got here. They're in the cabinet above the toaster." She proceeded to where he said and took out the cups. _Fancy_, she scoffed. _Just like everything else_. They sat down at the equally fancy table once everything was ready. Bella waited. Was she supposed to just start eating? Was he a religious person that always says grace before every meal? Did rich people just "dig in"? Edward stuffed a scoop of eggs into his mouth. _There's my answer_. Bella started with the bacon. It was absolutely mouthwatering, as was everything else, she later discovered. This man was an _amazing_ cook.

"My mother," Edward started, "always told me and my brother that it wasn't a woman's job to cook. That we should learn to cook just as well as any woman should have to ability to. Ever since we were old enough to reach the stove, she made me and Emmett cook. Alice and my dad, too. We traded nights."

_Why does it seem like he can read my mind?_, she questioned. _I guess some people are just good at reading expressions_. The rest of the meal was silent, but comfortable. Bella stood to take her plate to the sink.

"Let me," Edward said and took hers to stack with his. She smiled in thanks, and he returned it. Bella stood awkwardly for a few minutes as Edward loaded the dishwasher. What was she supposed to do? It would be rude to just disappear, wouldn't it? Edward put a stop to her worries when he spoke.

"I'm running some errands in Port Angeles today. Do you need anything?"

Bella stared at him. How could she answer that without speaking? She started to fidget. Yes, she did need some things, but she couldn't list them with a nod of her head. Edward seemed to sense her discomfort.

"Or would you just like to come with me?" he suggested. Bella nodded. "Okay, um, where is it that you need to go? I'm heading to the grocery store, the bank, the bookstore..." He trailed off as he noticed Bella snap her head up at the mention of a bookstore. "Bookstore?" She nodded vigorously. She didn't actually _own_ any books. All the ones she had read were courtesy of the library. "Okay, well, how about we do the other two first so you won't be rushed?" She smiled, as did he. "Meet me back here in half an hour?" She responded by heading up the steps. Edward watched her go. They were _definitely_ making progress, faster than he had expected. He shook his head. _What was it_ about this girl?

Edward and Bella were both back in the kitchen exactly thirty minutes later. She had chosen to wear light blue jeans, Converse, and a black t-shirt sporting her favorite band's logo. Edward had on a blue button up shirt, dark jeans, and, to Bella's astonishment, Converse. _He wears _regular _clothes_? Edward smiled at her.

"All ready?" he asked. She nodded. "Good. Let's get going." They went out to his Volvo and took off.

The hour and a half car ride was anything but silent. Edward told her almost every pointless detail about himself. His favorite color and food, his favorite band, why he loved his Volvo, what his high school experience was like, more about his family, stories from his childhood. Bella listened intently. She didn't know why, but she wanted to know everything about him that there was to know. Edward stopped his babbling as they pulled up to the grocery store. He turned to her.

"Coming in?"

Her response was the unbuckling of her seatbelt. Edward smiled at Bella once again, something he couldn't help himself from doing these days. He followed her out of the car and into the store.

It was an interesting experience for the both of them. He'd pull out foods and chuckle at the disgusted look on her face, and vice versa. They agreed on most of the groceries and proceeded to the checkout. Bella stared at the cashier of the line Edward had chosen. There were two people ahead of them, but the girl wasn't paying any attention to them. Her gaze was fixed on Edward. It made Bella uncomfortable. She shouldn't be looking at Edward like that. She wasn't his. _He's not yours either_, she reminded herself. But still, the way she was staring at him made Bella want to choke her. Bella tugged on Edward's sleeve and nodded to an empty _self_-checkout a few aisles down. Edward smiled and moved down there. Bella couldn't resist the urge to look back at the cashier. The way she was looking at Bella..._If looks could kill_. Bella smiled sweetly and waved before following Edward. They finished checking out and put everything in the car before heading to the bank.

When they got to the bank, Bella stayed rooted to her seat. Just the outside of it screamed _rich people only_. Edward saw that she wasn't moving and told her he'd be back in a second. Bella was once again plagued with thoughts of not belonging with Edward. It wouldn't be long until he figured out that she didn't belong in this high class world of his. What would she do then? Could she last long enough to turn 18 and live on her own? Her thoughts were once again interrupted as Edward got into the car.

"Alright, Isabella, time for the last stop of the day. Bookstore." She grinned at him. Reading was a passion she had inherited from her grandmother. She would spend days locked up in her room with a novel when she was a kid. But those days were long gone, and she had responsibilities now. They got to the bookstore and Bella instantly headed to the _Classics_ section. She quickly located the author she was looking for. _Jane Austen_. Austen was her and her grandma's favorite. Bella pulled out three of her infamous books and opened the first one, _Sense and Sensibility_. She became so entranced that she didn't notice Edward come up behind her. She jumped and dropped her book when he laid a hand on her shoulder. They both felt the jolt of electricity as his skin made contact with hers.

"Sorry," Edward apologized while picking up her book. "Jane Austen. Nice choice. I found the few I need for my class so whenever you're ready..." She held up her books to signify that she was. They walked to the checkout. Bella was stopped by Edward's hand when she reached for her wallet.

"I've got it."

She stared at him, hoping to communicate through her eyes that she could handle it.

"Isabella, please, let me. It's not a problem. Let me buy your books," he insisted. She sighed. She wasn't going to win, and she really needed all the money she had to get an apartment when her birthday came around. She handed him her books. He smiled. Edward bought the books then left the store to head home.

Opposite of the ride there, it was silent on the way back. Bella occasionally glanced at Edward. He looked...tense. He wasn't as relaxed as he was that morning. Something was on his mind. They arrived back at Edward's house and walked in. Bella was about to go up to her room when Edward's voice stopped her.

"Isabella, wait. Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Bella knit her eyebrows in confusion, but walked back down the few steps she had went up, nonetheless. She put her books down on the island in the middle of the kitchen and gripped the edges. What was on his mind? He mirrored her actions before starting.

"Isabella, I know that life has been really tough on you. I know that there's a reason that you're like this. You know, silent and all. But just so you know, my life hasn't been perfect either. Far from it. Money doesn't buy happiness. Shit happens, and there's nothing you can do about it. Those things that happen affect us. They help to shape who we are. But, Isabella, they don't _define_ who we are. We are still our own person. Whatever happened to you, your family, it's not who you are. You're letting it become you, but it's not. There's someone in there. I can see it when you smile. She's beautiful and social and funny and smart. She wants to break out. She wants to be herself again. She just wants someone to _try_, really try. And, Isabella, I guarantee—no, I _promise_ you that I will not give up until that girl comes out again. I promise, Isabella."

Bella stared at him with unshed tears. He was right. For seven years, she had let what had happen define her. But she couldn't. Not anymore. And this was the first step. Edward started to walk to his room before he heard a mutter.

"Bella."

Edward whipped around. "What?" She cleared her throat.

"My name. It's—it's Bella." And there it was. For the first time in seven years, Isabella Marie Swan spoke. Edward grinned, not only because she talked, but because the sound of her voice completely hypnotized him.

"Bella," he repeated. "I like it. Shorter, but sweeter." With that, he turned back to his original direction.

"Wait!" Bella called. Edward turned where he was. "I—I just talked. I talked."

Edward nodded. "Yes."

Bella creased her brows. "Well, shouldn't you be like, freaking out or something?" Edward chuckled.

"Freaking out? For what? Seeing that you didn't forget how to talk?"

Bella laughed. "Yeah, I—I guess that does sound stupid now. But, Edward, I have a couple of questions. I mean, if you don't mind."

Edward shrugged and walked back into the kitchen.

"It's one question, actually. I just...I was wondering...well, why me? Why not any of the other kids?" she asked. Edward stared at her for a beat before answering.

"Your eyes."

Bella blinked. "My—my eyes?" _Why do I keep stuttering?_

"Your eyes," he confirmed. He walked closer until he was standing right in front of her. "For one, Bella, you have amazing eyes. They are absolutely gorgeous." Edward brushed his finger tips over her closed eyelids. She opened her eyes when he dropped his hand. "But I noticed that something was missing. There was no _light_. They were just dark pits of agony and despair. I couldn't stand it. I knew that there should be light and life in those eyes, and I was determined to be the one who put it there." Edward raised his hand and cupped Bella's cheek. She closed her eyes again at his touch. Bella wasn't sure how long they stood there before Edward leaned down and whispered in her ear, "And I _will_ be the one who puts it there." He removed his hand and went to his room. Bella finally opened her eyes. Her breathing had become heavy, her heart was pounding, her stomach was flipping, her palms were sweating.

What was he _doing_ to her?

* * *

Just to make sure you aren't confused, Edward can NOT read minds. Just like the real Edward said, he was probably good at reading people when he was a human. So there it is.

Review!


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks again for all of the reviews!

* * *

"I am not a fighter, and I'm not much for love, but...this current is oh so strong, as we let ourselves sail the seas, she's sweet, I know she's sweet, but not as sweet as melody" - Smooth Sailing by The Morning Of

* * *

Bella woke up the next day with a smile on her face. She didn't know quite what had put it there, however. All she knew was that she was _happy_. For the first time since she was 10-years-old, Bella was _happy_. She smelled what was now becoming the familiar aroma of breakfast. She smiled. He _could be the reason_, she thought. Bella got out of bed and rushed down the stairs.

There he was, just like every day, she was discovering. Pajama pants and a wife beater, slaving over the stove. She couldn't help but to remember the..._moment_ they had last night. So intense, so _real_. Bella couldn't possibly deny that she felt something. What that something was, however, she had no idea. But she was okay with that. For now.

"Good morning!" Bella greeted happily as she skipped to a stool by the island. Edward chuckled as he turned to face her.

"Good morning to you, too," he replied. "Someone's in a good mood this morning."

Bella shrugged and smiled a smile that nearly took Edward's breath away. She was, by far, the most beautiful human being on the earth. He smiled back.

"You know," Edward started, "I've noticed something."

"Oh?" Bella asked. Edward nodded.

"Mhmm. You always come down the stairs the very second breakfast is ready." He proved this as he set a plate of food in front of her.

She shrugged again. "So?"

"Just an observation." Edward grinned at her before turning his attention to the food. Bella stared at him for an extra second. She didn't know why, but she loved that he was noticing her habits. They chatted pointlessly during breakfast before Edward informed Bella of his plans for the day.

"I was thinking that we could go shopping today." Bella put her fork down and squirmed uncomfortably.

"Shopping?" she squeaked out.

"Shopping."

"Edward, I..." she trailed off. Edward stared at her.

"Go on," he urged.

"I, um, I don't have the..._money_ for shopping," she admitted, embarrassed. Edward laughed. _He's _laughing_ at me? Is it _funny _that I don't have money?_ She got up abruptly.

"Bella, wait." Edward stood and walked over to her. He put an arm on Bella's shoulder. "Bella, I'm sorry. I wasn't laughing because you don't have money. I'm laughing because you actually thought I was going to _let_ you buy your own stuff." Bella ducked her head down as a blush crept up on her cheeks.

"Hey," Edward said softly. He lifted her chin up with his finger. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Bella. I'm very lucky and very blessed in the matter of money. I'm more than happy to buy you some clothes. I noticed your closet isn't very full..." Bella shook her head.

"Edward, I can't--"

Edward stopped Bella with a finger on her lips. "Bella, please. Get used to this. I like buying things for other people. It makes me feel better about having so much. Let me buy you a few outfits." He removed his finger. Bella sighed in defeat. Edward smiled.

"Thank you. Go get dressed so we can go." Bella started up the steps.

"Oh, and Bella," Edward called. She turned to look at him. "Please don't duck your head down when you blush. I like it." He smiled at her before leaving for his bathroom. She stared after him, dumbstruck. _He's so confusing_. She shook her head and went about getting ready for the day.

* * *

"It's _designer_," Bella complained. Edward kept pulling out all these designer sweaters and jeans. _Expensive_ sweaters and jeans. "I can't let you buy me designer clothes. It's just ridiculous."

Edward sighed. "Bella, in case you haven't noticed, almost all of my clothes are designer. It's not ridiculous. Just let me buy you my style of clothes. Three outfits, Bella. Just three. That's all I'm asking for."

Bella tightened her lips, but still agreed to his conditions. He smiled.

"Thank you."

Over the next three hours, Bella and Edward visited every store in the mall. Bella, the inner shopper coming out of her, had bought seven outfits thus far, and was still shopping. She felt a little guilty, yes. But he offered...

"How do you feel about this one?" Bella asked Edward as she exited the dressing room. Edward turned around where he was. His eyes widened.

_How did he _feel_ about it_? His lower region could answer for that. Her bottoms were the very definition of "booty shorts", showing all of her perfectly toned legs. She wore a white halter top that bore enough of her stomach to make you want to see more. They were both quite form fitting, accenting every single curve she had; her breasts, her waist, her thighs. Edward sharply inhaled. She was going to be the death of him. Bella barked out a laugh.

"I know, right? There is absolutely _no way_ I would _ever_ wear something like this. Ever." She laughed once more before returning to the dressing room. Edward let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. _That was...whoa_. Bella came out with a few _appropriate _outfits, as she called them. However, Edward couldn't help thinking that last outfit was _quite _appropriate. _Stop it, Edward_, he scolded himself. Bella cleared her throat, putting a halt on his daydreaming.

"Edward? Have you heard a single word I said?"

Edward smiled uncomfortably. "Sorry, no. I was...distracted." Bella knit her eyebrows together.

"Okay, well, I was just saying that I'm kinda hungry..."

Edward nodded. "Of course. Pick anywhere." They settled on some popular Italian restaurant and headed to the car.

* * *

"Favorite color?"

Bella laughed. "Edward, what is with all of these questions?" Ever since that had been seated, Edward had questioned Bella ruthlessly about, well, everything. Edward smiled and shrugged.

"I just wanna know about you, Bella. Now, if you would be so kind as to answer my question..."

"Green," she answered without thinking. _Stupid! That's the color of his eyes!_

"Interesting," Edward mused. "Favorite childhood memory?"

Bella looked up at him sharply before ducking her head down. Her eyes had started to water.

"Oh, Bella..." Edward stared at her. _She shouldn't feel like that. Her childhood shouldn't make her cry. _"I'm sorry, Bella. You don't have to answer."

"No!" Bella shouted. "No. I want to answer." Edward nodded. They sat in silence for a beat before she answered.

"Every Christmas," she started, "my mom and I made muffins. Cookies were too traditional, she would say. She said that we would start our own tradition and make muffins on Christmas. So we did." Bella giggled. "I remember this one time that my dad tried to help us. It was an absolute disaster. It took Mom weeks to clean the kitchen." Bella looked up at him with a small smile and whispered, "I miss them."

Edward, noticing that her tears were about to spill, called for the check, paid, and proceeded to walk Bella out of the restaurant, his arm never leaving her waist. They were silent on the way home, him out of respect, her out of agony. Edward's heart broke as he noticed tears sparkling on Bella's cheeks. She shouldn't be crying. She didn't deserve to be crying.

"Bella..." he muttered. Bella let out a sob.

"I'm s-sorry, Edward. It's been y-years. I shouldn't be--be crying anym-more." Edward shushed her and pulled over to the side of the road. He got out of the car and walked over to open her door.

"Bella, shh, it's okay. I'm here." Edward picked her up, sat down in the passenger's seat, and placed on on his lap. She buried her head in his chest as he rubbed her back soothingly. Edward stared at the way the moonlight touched her hair, the way it made her teardrops glisten. _Beautifully _broken, he thought sadly. He wasn't sure how long they sat like that, him whispering words of comfort in her ear, but there was one thing he was most definitely sure of. Even with tears staining Bella's cheeks, sobs shaking her shoulders, pain breaking her heart,

She had never been more beautiful than on that night.

* * *

Review!


	8. Chapter 8

As always, thanks a million for faithfully reviewing. Please continue to do so!

* * *

"These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real, there's just too much that time cannot erase...I've tried to hard to tell myself that you're gone, but though you're still with me, I've been alone all along" - My Immortal by Evanescence. I listened to the complete piano version. I like it a lot better than the version with the drums at the end.

* * *

Bella woke up with a jolt. She shouldn't be awake. She didn't deserve to be awake. Not today. If anyone didn't deserve to wake up on this one day out of the year, it was her. She was the reason that she was where she was. She was the reason her parents weren't there with her. She was the reason that her dad wasn't downstairs reading the sports page with his feet up on the coffee table. She was the reason that her mom wasn't downstairs yelling at her dad for having his feet up on the coffee table. People _eat_ there, she used to say. But she didn't say that anymore. She couldn't say that anymore because she was dead. Because of Bella.

Bella felt the all too familiar pang inside of her chest as tears started to flood her eyes. Edward would know, wouldn't he? She knew it was on that stupid fact sheet that the home always gives to the new parents. Had he read it? She had no clue. But she did know that today marked eight years since her parents had died. Because of her.

She had thought of telling Edward everything a few weeks ago when she had broken down at the restaurant, but something had stopped her. Bella had never verbally told anyone why or how it was her fault that her parents were dead. She wasn't sure how to say it. Where did she start? She had wanted to tell him that night, but she couldn't. It felt too..._right_ to be in his arms, as she was all night long. She didn't want to ruin the moment by telling the story. He'd be repulsed. He'd think she was a horrible person. He'd hate her, and Bella wasn't sure that she'd be able to live much longer with that knowledge. _Like I deserve to live_, she scoffed. Bella wiped away the few tears that had fallen and went downstairs. She could smell breakfast, and Edward would definitely know that something was wrong if she wasn't down the second breakfast was ready.

When she got downstairs, she was taken back at the sight. Edward was...normal. He was doing exactly what he did every morning. Bella furrowed her brows. _Doesn't he know what today is?_, she mentally asked herself.

"Good morning, Bella!" he happily greeted. _I'll take that as a 'no'._ Bella nodded in response. "I changed breakfast a little this morning. We're having pancakes instead of eggs. Is that alright with you?"

Bella feigned a smile and responded, "It's fine." Edward smiled.

"Good. I wasn't sure if you liked pancakes."

Bella shrugged. "Who doesn't?"

Edward cocked his head to the left and studied her. Something wasn't right. Her tone was off. Her shoulders were slumping again. The faint light that had finally returned to her eyes over the past month had vanished. She was broken again. Utterly and completely broken.

"Bella?" Edward asked tentatively. She looked up from her plate. "Is everything alright? You seem...not you."

_Not me?_, Bella sneered. _He doesn't even _know _me!_

"I'm just tired," she lied. "I couldn't sleep last night."

Edward leaned forward in curiosity and concern. "Any idea why?"

Bella looked back down. Of course she knew why, but she wasn't about to tell him. If he didn't know, then he didn't know. Period. "Nope."

Edward stared at her disbelievingly, but nodded anyway. He could tell that she was lying, but decided not to press the matter further. For now. "I was thinking of heading to the library today. Need some new books?"

Bella sighed. She really didn't feel like going anywhere today. Seriously, how could he not know? Didn't he get the newspaper delivered to his house? She was sure it would say something about it. Despite her reluctance, she still replied, "Yeah, sounds great, Edward."

Edward's suspicions grew at her unenthusiastic response. He knew that she loved to read. She had been asking to go to the library for almost three weeks. Something was up, and it was making Bella sad. He didn't like it.

They agreed to meet at the door in thirty minutes, as usual. However, what was unusual was that Bella wasn't ready in half an hour. She was always there the second Edward got to the door, but instead, Edward had to wait another thirty minutes for her to come down the steps. When Edward asked what had taken her so long, she simply replied that she fell asleep in the shower. Bella was careful to hide her face from him, seeing as it would reveal tear stains on her cheeks. Edward cautiously accepted her excuse and followed her out the door.

The car ride was also uncommonly silent. Typically, Edward and Bella spent car rides asking each other questions to get to know one another. Bella was normally the one to start the interrogation, but she didn't make a sound the whole way to the library.

Edward watched Bella walk away once they entered the library. This wasn't his Bella. His Bella was joyful and social and confident. This Bella was melancholy, silent, and insecure, just like she was on the first day he saw her. There was no sparkle in her eye, and she walked as if she was weighed down. She was hurting, and that pain radiated from her like odor radiates from a sewage plant. It was unavoidable to stare as she darted past as wonder of her life story overcame you. Edward felt his heart crack. He was once again angered at her situation. She shouldn't be like that. She didn't deserve to be like that. And, like before, Edward was determined to fix it.

Edward came up behind Bella in one of the aisles. She was staring at the books, it would seem to an onlooker, but Edward could tell that she was staring _past_ them. Her mind was somewhere else, somewhere it shouldn't be. She didn't even move when he put his arm on her shoulder.

"Bella," he whispered. She still didn't move. He repeated her name while shaking her gently. She snapped her head in his direction and tried to smile. It failed.

"Sorry," she said. "I was in space."

"Yeah, I noticed. You've been like that all day," he commented. "Are you sure everything's alright?"

She nodded. "Positive." She grabbed a book off the shelf. "I think I'll get this one."

Edward stared at the cover before cocking a brow. "The Chicken Ghost of the Cow Barn?"

Bella looked down at the book she had grabbed at random and blushed. "Um, yeah. It—it sounds interesting."

Edward sighed and shook his head. He knew that it wasn't interesting to her. She liked classics like Jane Austen and Emily Bronte. Not chicken ghosts. "Whatever you say, Bella." He put a hand on the small of her back and led her to the checkout. The librarian scanned their books and they left for home.

The ride home was the same as the ride there. Silent. Edward took several glances at Bella. She was always staring out the window. Not once did she turn her gaze in his direction. Not a single time.

When they got home, Bella headed straight for her bedroom. Edward stared up the steps long after she had disappeared from his sight. What was going on? It was Friday. They always watched a movie on Friday. Why wasn't she picking out the movie while he got the popcorn and nachos ready? Edward couldn't stand it anymore. He had to know what was eating her. It was killing him to watch her like this. She needed to be happy. He needed for her to be happy. If she wasn't happy, neither was he. As to why that was exactly, Edward didn't know.

Edward walked up the steps and knocked on her door. "Bella?"

No answer. He knocked harder. "Bella?"

Still no answer. "Bella, if you don't come open this door, I _will_ break it down."

Edward heard shuffling and knew she had gotten up. She opened the door.

"What do you want, Edward?" she asked sharply. "I'm trying to read about chicken ghosts."

Edward felt a needle strike his heart at her tone, but did his best to ignore it. "I wanna know what's going on with you."

Bella stiffened. "What're you talking about?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about. You've been acting weird all day. You're all sad and depressed. It's not like you."

Bella, suddenly defensive, replied, "How would you know what is and isn't like me? You've known me for a month! We can't all be happy every single day, Edward!"

Edward held out his hands in front of him. "Calm down, Bella. I just wanna help."

Bella laughed without humor. "You can't help, Edward. You can't. And stop worrying about it. As soon as I turn eighteen, I'm out of here. I've got enough money for a year's rent in an apartment. I'll be gone the day of my birthday."

Edward looked at her softly. "I'll leave you alone when you tell me what's bugging you today."

"No. It's none of your business. And if you watched the news or read the paper, I'm sure you'd know." Bella turned and started to shut her door, but it was stopped by Edward's hand.

"Know what?" he asked.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Oh my God, do you own a fucking calendar?"

"There's one in my phone--"

"Do you look at it?" she interrupted.

Edward shrugged. "No, not really."

Bella shook her head. "How can you possibly not know what today is? Didn't you notice a trend in people's outfits today?"

"I wasn't really paying attention to other people," he replied. _I was too busy watching you_.

Bella hit her arms on her sides. "You didn't notice something outside of everyone's house?"

He shook his head.

Bella sighed exasperatedly. "Oh my God, you're fucking hopeless! You really have no clue what today is?"

"No, Bella, I don't, so why don't you enlighten me."

"It's September 11th!" she exclaimed. "Everyone was wearing red, white, and blue! Everyone had flags outside of their houses! It's September 11th, Edward!"

Edward looked down. Such a day made him sad, yes, and he would've put up a flag had he paid attention to the date. But why did it bother her so much?

"Don't you know what happened on September 11th, Edward?" Bella asked angrily.

"Of course. It was on every TV scre--"

"No! I mean specifically! Don't you know what specifically happened on September 11th, 2001?"

Edward stared at her in confusion.

"You really don't know?"

Edward shook his head. "I'm sorry, but no."

Bella looked away from him as her eyes started to water. "My parents, Edward. My parents were in the Pentagon."

Edward's heart shattered. No. It couldn't be. Bella couldn't be a victim of such evil, such terror. Not his Bella. How could--no. Just no. It wasn't possible. He continued to stare at her, speechless. Sobs started to wrack Bella's body.

"Bella..." Edward trailed. "I...I don't know what to say."

Bella looked back at him. "It was my fault. They shouldn't have been there."

"Bella, no. Don't say that. There's no way it was your fault."

"Yes, there is!" she argued. "They were gonna take that day off. They were gonna stay home, but I convinced them to go to work because I wanted to skip school. I had a math test that day. I couldn't fake sick because Mom never let me stay home unless I threw up. I made them go. I made them go so that I could miss some stupid test. Because of my selfishness, they're dead. If I had just been a good little girl and gone to school like everyone else, they would still be here. But they aren't. Because of me." Another sob took over her and she slid against the wall to the floor. Edward took a second to compose himself before kneeling down in front of her.

"Bella," he whispered. He took her hands in his own. "Bella, listen to me. It's not your fault. There's no way that you could've known what was going to happen that day. Everyone tries to skip school when there's a test. The day you did just happened to be...one of the worst days in American history. It's not your fault. It was their time to go. They've forgiven you, wherever they are. It's time to forgive yourself."

Bella shook her head. "Easy for you to s-say. Your life is p-perfect. Nothing b-bad has happened to y-you."

Edward snorted. "You have no idea, Bella."

"About-t what?"

Edward looked around before answering. "My life."

Bella sat up, intrigued. "Then tell me."

* * *

First, I would like to apologize to anyone who was insulted (that isn't quite the word I was looking for, but I think you understand what I'm saying) by the content of this chapter in any way. Second, my profuse sincerities to any out there who was personally affected by 9/11. My dad works at the Capitol, so you can imagine how scared I was that day. Third, I would like to say that those who lost their lives that day are forever remembered, along with those who lost their lives in distant lands and who are currently serving. My profuse thanks to them, which happens to include my cousin, Kyle.


	9. Author's Note

Sorry about this, but I have to post this.

Just to clear something up, someone reviewed about the age difference. I'm thinking that you didn't pay enough attention because Edward is 24 and Bella is 17 (not 16), very very soon to be 18. So when and if they do have sex, it won't be illegal. She'll be 18 by then. Seriously, guys, it's only a 6 ½ year age difference. It's not that big of a deal. My sister's fiancée is 10 years older than her. By calling this age difference creepy, you're pretty much calling my sister's relationship completely repulsive, which highly offends me. Their relationship is as beautiful as any relationship with two people in love should be. If you think the age difference is gross, then just don't read the story. Not to sound rude or anything, I appreciate that you're reading, but I'm getting tired of getting reviews about their age difference being creepy. Meyer's Edward was like, 90 years older than Bella. I know the circumstances are different, but seriously. Just get over it or don't read it. And please don't tell me that I didn't think out my plot. I'm not an idiot. Again, I'm sorry to sound rude, but that comment just really irked me.

The next chapter will be up probably Friday night or sometime Saturday. See you guys then!


	10. Chapter 9

Thank you for the many reviews! Sorry I didn't stick to my update routine, but it was Christmas and I have a life. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

* * *

"Broken wings have a home tonight, no one is listening, no one is listening, when darkness fell on the streets last night, we never expected, we never expected this" - Broken Wings by Bleed the Dream

* * *

Edward inhaled sharply. Sure, his family and close friends knew the story, but he had never had to verbally tell it. He felt sharp pain in his chest as he went over the key points in his head. He wasn't even sure he could do it.

"Edward?" Bella asked. "Edward, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. You don't have to tell--"

"No!" he interrupted. "No. It's fine. I'll tell you." _Should do me some good_, Edward hoped. "Make yourself comfortable. This might last a while."

They moved all the way into Bella's room and sat side by side on her bed. They were both aware of how close they were, but knew that now wasn't the time to think about attractions.

"Where to start?" Edward asked himself.

"The beginning is usually good," Bella joked. Edward smiled and sighed before starting.

"My brother, Emmett, was really popular in high school. He was captain of the football team all four years. So when my sister Alice and I started high school, we were already well known. Therefore, we were invited to all of the parties. Though I didn't know it at the time, one of those parties would set the platform for...the rest of my life. You see, at a 'Christmas' party my freshman year (the only Christmasey thing about it was the spiked eggnog), I saw this girl. She was beautiful. She had slick blond hair, fair skin, and bright blue eyes. Pretty much the definition of what every horny 15-year-old boy fantasized about. Anyway, I stared at her all night, not realizing that she was staring back. She finally walked over to me and said, 'Something caught your eye, cutie pie?' I was totally embarrassed. I had no idea what to say. I was shy and lanky and awkward my freshman year. So instead of responding, I just nodded with my mouth wide open. A bug or two probably flew in, I'm sure. She laughed, a sound that was music to my ears at the time, and told me her name. Tanya.

"So I finally found my voice and we talked all night long. We discussed pretty much all there was to discuss. By the end of the night, being as young and naïve as I was, I was totally convinced that I was in love with her. And, being as young and naïve as _she_ was, she was totally convinced she was in love with me, too. And that was it. We were a couple.

"All through high school, we were the 'it' couple. Everyone wanted to know us. Everyone wanted to be us. I filled out, quite well, if I do say so myself, and followed Emmett's footsteps in becoming captain of the football team. Believe it or not, Tanya was captain of the cheerleading team. It was totally cliché. We went to all the parties and social events, we got perfect grades. We were president and vice president of our class. Tanya was valedictorian. Everything was perfect in our world. We as individuals were perfect, our lives were perfect, and we as a couple were perfect. Everything was just perfect. That is, until it was time to graduate.

"We both wanted completely different things. Tanya wanted to move to New York to be on Broadway and I wanted to go to college near home for pre-med. I had always been close to my family, so I didn't want to move all the way to New York. Tanya didn't want her last memory to be of us fighting, so we agreed that we'd split up and, if neither of us was seeing anyone when our lives were settled, then we'd resume where we left off. So the day came for her to fly to New York. I went with her and her family to the airport to see her off. It broke my heart to see her crying, so I started crying too."

Bella's heart tinged at the thought of Edward hurting. He didn't deserve that.

"We hugged and kissed a billion times and then she left. And that was it."

"Edward," Bella whispered. "I'm so sorry. That must have been horrible."

Edward shook his head. "Haven't even gotten to the worst part, Bella." He continued.

"So life went on. I went to college near home, allowing me to still live with my parents and family. One day, as I was home alone and doing homework, I heard a knock at the door. It confused me because the house is back in the woods. This is the house, by the way. My family moved out since then and left it to me. Anyway, I went down to answer the door, and it was Tanya. I was completely taken back. I hadn't expected to ever see her again. She was just as beautiful as I had remembered. Her hair was still perfectly golden and smooth, her skin just as fine. But it wasn't her beauty that caught my eye. It was the baby.

"A little girl. She was one at the time. Tanya found out she was pregnant a month after she left for Broadway. I was so mad. I had no idea. She hadn't contacted me at all to let me know that I was a father. I stared at the baby for the longest time before looking back at Tanya. She was crying. She said she wasn't stable to raise the baby. She wasn't fit to be a mother and she didn't have the money. She asked me to take her. She knew I could support her and she knew my family would help raise her. I took the baby out of her arms immediately. That was my daughter. _My _daughter. Tanya kissed the baby, Hannah Jane, on the head and left without another word.

"I took Hannah inside and sat on the couch. I had no idea what to do. I was 19-years-old, full time student. How the hell was I supposed to raise a child? I had my family, yes, and I knew they would help as much as they could. But she was _my _daughter. I wanted to raise her. I wanted to see her grow and learn. My parents came home at right that moment and I explained everything to them. They said, as I expected them to, that they would help. I accepted that I'd need all the help I could get and life went on again."

Edward looked up to Bella with a smile, the biggest she'd ever seen on him, before continuing.

"I loved her so much. She was everything to me. Ever since that night, she slept with me in the bed. Every single night. My dad always told me how that wasn't good for the baby, that she should learn to sleep in her crib, but I didn't listen. I wanted her with me. The father in me was extremely protective. I had to know that she was close enough for me to touch in order to fall asleep. And everything was perfect again. My life was perfect, until Hannah was 2 ½.

"My dad and I started noticing that things were...off. She wasn't developing as fast as she should have been. We took her to the hospital and..."

Edward had to stop. His voice had started to crack as tears filled his eyes. Bella's own eyes filled with tears. _Please, God_, she begged, _don't let it be what I think it is_. Edward took a deep breath.

"Hannah had cancer. She had had it since she was six months old. Tanya knew. That's why she left her with me. She didn't want a cancer child. She wanted a perfect child."

Hatred filled Bella. How could a mother give up her daughter because she was sick?

"The doctors told us that it was too late. It had spread too much. Hannah only had six months to live.

"I hated Tanya. I hated her. If she had told me that Hannah had cancer, we could have saved her. She would be alive. She would be here, right now. But she isn't. Two days after her third birthday, Hannah died in her sleep. I woke up because she hadn't tapped me. She always tapped me at 2am to get a glass of water. I woke up and looked over at her and...I just knew. I knew she was gone."

Edward had to pause. He put his head in his hands as he cried. Bella, too, was crying. Dead at 3-years-old. It wasn't right. That wasn't how it was supposed to be. Edward let a single sob out before regaining his composure.

"After Hannah's funeral, I asked my family if I could have the house to myself. It held memories of Hannah that I didn't wanna forget. I can't explain it exactly, but I knew I wanted the house and the memories to myself. They agreed and moved out the following week to their house in LA.

"So that was three years ago when I was 21. About five months after Hannah's death, I decided to start taking in foster children. I needed to fill the hole. Of course, it never filled. Not completely. No one could, or can, replace Hannah. And...I guess that's it. Now I'm here."

Bella stared at him, speechless. She couldn't fathom his story. It was...she just couldn't understand.

"Edward," she finally whispered. "Edward, I am so...I'm so so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry this happened to you and I'm sorry that I called your life perfect."

Edward shrugged. "Anyone who doesn't know would think that. It's fine."

They sat in silence for half an hour, both in their own thoughts. Edward eventually looked over at Bella.

"You wanna see her?" he asked.

Bella nodded. "Sure."

They got up and headed to Edward's room. Edward walked over to his nightstand, picked up the picture, and handed it to Bella. Her eyes refilled with tears. Hannah was beautiful.

She had inherited her mother's blue eyes, but she definitely had Edward's hair. Smile, too, Bella noticed. The picture was of her in Edward's lap. They were both smiling as they sat in front of a breathtaking waterfall. It looked...perfect. The way it should be. Not the way it was. It wasn't right. Something so innocent and so pure...it wasn't right.

"She's beautiful," Bella commented softly.

Edward nodded. They both stared at the picture for a few moments before Bella quietly asked, "Do you believe in God, Edward?"

Edward furrowed his brows before answering. "I didn't used to. Before she died, I didn't. But, at her funeral, the clergyman read this verse. Isaiah 40:30-31, I think it was. 'Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.' I just had this picture of Hannah in heaven. She was strong and more beautiful than ever. She was running in this meadow filled with flowers and butterflies. She was laughing and smiling and she was healthy. Then I saw this guy in a white robe. It was God, I think, and He was just smiling at her. Then He looked at me and said, 'She's safe. She's okay. I'll take care of her for now, but she's waiting for you.' Since then, I've had to believe in God. I can't let her down. She's waiting for me up there."

Bella was crying again. She smiled through the tears as she said, "That's...really good, Edward. I think you've just convinced me to believe in God."

Edward chuckled. "Hope that gets in a good word for me with the Big Guy."

Bella smiled before taking Edward's face in her hands. "You'll see her again, Edward. You'll be with her."

Edward nodded and removed her hands from his face, taking them into his own. "You'll see them, too, Bella. Your parents. They're waiting for you, too."

"Think so?" she asked meekly.

Edward squeezed her hands. "I know so."

They smiled at each other before Edward enveloped Bella into a hug, feeling more love than he had in years.

* * *

"It's haaaapeningggg!" Hannah exclaimed as she watched the two on earth.

"What's happening?" asked Renee.

"Bella and Daddy are falling in love!"

"Bella's what?" Charlie asked. Hannah giggled.

"Oh, look at them, Charlie. Aren't they darling?" cooed Renee as she looked at the embracing couple.

"Should keep his hands off my daughter," he grumbled.

"Now, now, Charlie, there's no being grumpy in the Lord's Kingdom," said Julian, Hannah's guardian angel. He followed her wherever she went, just as he had on earth.

"Oh, Julian, is there any way to just...make it happen?" Renee questioned of the angel.

He shrugged. "God can do anything, but he usually doesn't tamper with things like love. They just...happen. He plans it and it happens as it's supposed to."

"Well," Hannah started, "if God planned it, then it _has _to happen. God doesn't do stuff wrong."

Julian chuckled and patted her head. "That's true, little one, God doesn't do stuff wrong, but He doesn't always plan for people to fall in love forever."

"Well, He did with Bella and Daddy. They're gonna get married!"

Julian smiled and picked her up. They both directed their gaze down to Bella and Edward, who were still holding on to each other with all that they had.

"Whatever you say, Hannah Jane. Whatever you say."

* * *

I'm sorry if you were offended because you don't believe in God, but I do, so I had to put it in there.

So I was really surprised that no one guess Edward's story. In his introduction, one of the lines from the song was "My God, I've seen my children die". I thought someone would catch that.

Review!


	11. Chapter 10

Thank you for the reviews, especially those of you who faithfully review every chapter. I love you all. Happy new year!

* * *

"We can't stop now or slow this down, as we give in to love and fate, holding hands with fingers locked, our hearts they race like ticking clocks, wind them up and start again, the time is here now, babe, so don't pretend, if there's a moment more perfect than tonight, let me hear all the dreams you have inside, I wanna make them all come true, and make you feel alive" - "An Unseen Direction" by The Morning Of

* * *

"And this world's not half as bright when there's a me without you!" Bella sang into her hairbrush while dancing around the bathroom. It had been two weeks since Edward and Bella had shared their stories, and Bella had never felt so...free. So light. The world was finally off of her shoulders. Somehow, and Bella was quite surprised at this, Edward had convinced her that her parent's deaths were _not _her fault. After seven long, guilty years, Bella finally felt that it was just their time. That what had happened was for a reason. That they died so that she could end up here, with Edward. As to why that meant so much to her, she wasn't sure. But she knew she never wanted to leave.

Bella ran a hand through her hair and smiled. She felt like a giddy school girl. She enjoyed waking up every morning, smelling the sweet aroma of breakfast faithfully made every morning by Edward, and running down the steps to see him. He always looked amazing, she realized, even when he'd just rolled out of bed. The past couple of days, Bella had been doing a little grooming before going downstairs. She wanted to look good for Edward. Although, she was careful to not do _too _much in the morning. He would notice and question the sudden change. And, honestly, she didn't know the answer.

"We got it better than all the rest, in an unseen new direction," she continued happily. "Trying hard to be the best, so--"

"--can I please have your attention?" Edward finished in his velvety smooth voice, grinning as he leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed. He laughed as Bella screamed, suddenly self-conscious. Had she been that loud?

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked worriedly. What would he think of her if he saw her dancing around the bathroom whilst singing into a hairbrush?

"Oh, I believe I walked in during your marvelous rendition of 'Don't Stop Believing'," he responded teasingly. Bella walked up to him and playfully hit his shoulder.

"That was three songs ago!" she exclaimed.

Edward nodded. "I know."

Bella brushed past him while mumbling, "Coulda said something...."

Edward pushed himself off the wall and watched her walk down the hallway. She had been so _happy _these past couple of weeks. It radiated off of her like the sun radiates heat on an August afternoon. A smile crept up on his face because he, too, had been happy.

Telling someone the story had put the light back in his life. But telling _Bella _the story, well...that had put _love _back in his life. He hadn't felt like this in a long time, and he often pushed the feelings aside. He _couldn't _feel that way about Bella. She was his foster child. It was wrong; totally against the ways of society. He could, however, enjoy her presence and be just as joyful as she was. She had convinced him, just as he had to her, that Hannah's death was meant to be, and had happened for a reason. And he accepted his daughter's death, finally, after three dark and lonely years. But he wasn't lonely anymore. There was an angel in his kitchen right now, waiting for him.

Edward proceeded down the hallway and joined Bella at the table. She had already fixed his plate for him. Edward sat and looked up at Bella. She was staring fixedly at a piece of bacon. Edward furrowed his brows.

"Bella?" he asked. She didn't look away from the meat. "Bella...what are you doing?"

She sighed. "Something's different. It tastes different. It's good, though...I think. But it tastes different."

Edward raised an eyebrow and bit into his own piece of bacon. "It tastes the same to me."

"No," Bella shook her head. "No. Something is definitely different." She looked up at him. "What did you do different?"

Edward wracked his brain, but he was sure he'd done everything the same. "Nothing."

"Ugh!" Bella pushed back from the table and walked to the kitchen counter, where all of Edward's ingredients and such were still lined up. Bacon, eggs, bread, butter, spatula, bowl...

"I got it!" she shouted. She swung her body around and stared at him with her hand on her hip. "Come here."

Edward threw his napkin on the table, got up, and walked over to her. When he stopped in front of her, she waved her arm at the counter. "What is wrong here?"

Edward put his hand on the back of his neck and stared. Everything was there, wasn't it? He looked back to her and shrugged. "I don't see anything dif--"

"Salt!" Bella yelled. "You always put extra salt on the bacon because that's how you like it. But you didn't. The bacon isn't salty enough. That's the problem. You forgot salt."

Edward tried to bite back a laugh, but failed. Bella glared at him.

"Don't laugh at me. I was seriously troubled by this. I've been sitting there for ten minutes, trying to figure out what it was."

Edward took a breath and looked back at her. "I'm sorry. Really, I am. It's just..." He smiled and shook his head before wrapping his arms around her shoulders and kissing her hair. "You looked so adorable."

Bella ducked her head to hide a blush.

"Come on," Edward said. "Let's finish our unsalted breakfast."

They walked back to the table and ate in comfortable silence before Bella asked what the plans for the day were.

"Well," Edward started, "the fair is here for the weekend. It opens at eight tonight. You know, if you wanna go."

Bella slowly put down her fork and stared at her plate.

"Bella?" Edward asked in concern.

"I, um, I've never...been to the fair before," she admitted.

Edward stared at her with wide eyes. He'd been to the fair every year of his life. Why hadn't she ever been?

"My parents...they were always really busy. We didn't have time for the fair," she explained as if reading his mind.

"Well, that simply won't do." Edward pushed back from the table and offered Bella his hand. "My lady, would you do me the honor of allowing me to accompany you on your first experience to the fair?"

Bella giggled and took his hand. "Yes, dear sir, I do so grant you the honor."

Edward grinned and pulled her out of her seat, into his arms. "I thank you, my lady. Now, thy lady should take extra time getting ready today, so that thy dear sir may show off what a gem she is to the hormonal boys that shall no doubt be at the fair."

"I now thank _you_, dear sir, for such a compliment. However, it would take much more than extra time to turn this lady into a gem."

Bella watched as Edward's expressions softened. He moved one hand from her waist and raised it to her cheek. He cupped it while gently stroking with his thumb. Bella closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.

"Thy lady does not see thyself clearly," Edward whispered. "For whether she be covered in diamonds or dust, she is still the most precious of all the gems. The one that sparkles the most, inside and out. The most beautiful of all."

Bella opened her watery eyes and met his gaze. _Have his eyes_ _always been that green?_, she wondered. She mustered a watery smile, to which he eagerly returned. She had no words; he had left her speechless. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his strong chest. He wound his arms tightly around her waist and kissed her head, inhaling her sweet scent as he did so. Bella wasn't sure how long they stood in that position, conscious only of their proximity and feelings, the warmth that neither could deny had risen in their hearts. Edward eventually pulled back and gave Bella her favorite crooked smile.

"Go get ready, Bella. I have some errands to run before we go."

"Okay," she softly responded before giving him one last smile and going up the steps. Edward watched her go once more, unable to deny what he had felt when she was in his arms. Whatever it was, he knew there was no stopping it. It was coming, full force, and all he could do was let himself fall.

* * *

"Winner!" the man exclaimed as Edward won the game...again. Edward pointed to the bear he wanted and the worker quickly handed it to him. Edward turned with a boyish grin plastered on his face and handed it to Bella. She laughed.

"Edward, if you win any more, we're going to run out of hands!"

Edward laughed. "What can I say? I like winning things for my girl."

Bella's heart soared at his claim. _**His**_ _girl_, she dreamily thought. _I like that_. Bella smiled at him.

"C'mon," Edward said as he offered Bella his hand. "Let's go get on another ride."

Bella eagerly grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers, they way it had been all night. The way she liked it. _Stop it, Bella_, she warned herself. _He's just being friendly_.

Five rides and two corndogs later, Bella sat down on a bench, exhausted. "Edward, I can't take any more spinning. I'll puke."

"Aw, c'mon, Bells," he begged, using the nickname he'd been calling her almost all night. "Just one more ride."

"Edward..."

"The ferris wheel. It's slow." He knelt down in front of her and grabbed her hands. "Please?"

Bella rolled her eyes and sighed. How could she say no to that?

"Fine. We'll go on the ferris wheel. But that's it!"

Edward grinned and stood up, taking her with him. He once again locked their fingers together and walked her to the ferris wheel. Edward handed the worker their tickets and got on. When they sat, Edward put his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into him in return.

"So," he started. "Has thy fair maiden enjoyed her first experience at the fair?"

Bella giggled. "She has. More so than she thought she would." _Because I was with **you**._

"I'm glad." He squeezed her shoulder before suddenly perking up. "Bella...why aren't you in school?"

"I graduated early last year," she answered. "I had nothing better to do at the home so I just studied a lot and got all my classes done through a tutor. How come I never see you doing any homework or anything?"

"You aren't paying close enough attention," he replied with a grin.

She rolled her eyes.

"Have you ever been in love?" Edward suddenly asked.

"What is this, twenty questions?" Bella scoffed. Edward shrugged. She sighed before answering. "I was once, I think. I was only fourteen, so--"

"Love doesn't have an age," Edward interrupted.

"Okay so...I was fourteen. His name was Chris. He was another kid at the home. Three years older than me. He always included me, even though I didn't talk. He was really nice and smart. He defended me and stuff like that. So, I don't know if it was love, but it was the strongest I'd ever felt for a guy before." _Until now._

"What happened to him?" Edward asked.

"He turned eighteen. When you turn eighteen and you're still at the home, you have a choice. You can either continuing living there and work as a volunteer or you can go out on your own. I was so sure he'd stay. For me. You can imagine my surprise when I woke up one day and he was gone. Just like that. No goodbye or anything."

"I'm sorry," Edward whispered. "That must've been terrible for you. To lose your only friend."

Bella shrugged. "I got through it."

"Yes. Yes, you did. And I strongly believe that that situation helped to make you the amazing woman you are now."

Bella looked up at him and stared. He didn't break the connection, gazing solely into the chocolate orbs he had come to admire. Edward started to rub her shoulder and moved a fraction of an inch closer. _Kiss her_, his heart begged. _She's right there. She wants it. Kiss her._ He moved closer. Bella's mouth opened slightly, forming an 'o'. His eyes moved from her eyes to her lips and back again. They were so very _kissable_. Their breathing had become labored as they slowly moved closer. _Kiss her._ Edward leaned his forehead on hers. She could feel his hot breath on her lips, and vice versa.

"Bella...," Edward said in the softest of whispers, the tone that only the closest of lovers used. She was so close. It would be so easy to just lean forward and press his lips to hers. It was, after all, the ferris wheel. But he couldn't. It wasn't right. She was only seventeen, and she was his foster kid. He couldn't. He opted to just kiss her temple, catching a whiff of her hair. _Strawberries_. Edward pulled back and cleared his throat.

"The, uh, the ride is over," he announced.

Bella opened her eyes in disappointment. Why didn't he kiss her? She was sure he wanted to. She nodded in acknowledgment of what he said and waited for their turn to get off. Edward got off first and offered his hand to help Bella down. She took it, but was quick to release his hand once her feet landed on the ground. He obviously didn't want to hold it. Bella forced a smile at him and went over to pick up their items. Edward watched her with remorse. He should have done it. He should have. But he couldn't. He wasn't allowed to kiss her, touch her, hold her.

He wasn't allowed to be in love with her.

* * *

"WHY DIDN'T HE KISS HER?!" Renee and Hannah yelled in unison.

Charlie clapped. "That's my boy!"

"Charlie!" Renee scolded.

"What?" he innocently asked. "I don't want no boy kissing my daughter."

Julian chuckled. "Calm down, now, Charlie. What's going to happen will happen."

"What's gonna happen, Julian?" Hannah asked with excitement and interest.

Julian patted her head. "I'm not sure yet, little one. But I do agree that they're falling in love. Slowly, I presume, but surely."

"I told ya Daddy and Bella were gonna get married."

"Don't get your hopes up," Julian warned. "God plans for many things to happen, and they aren't always what we want."

"Well, He planned this," Hannah said with confidence. "Daddy and Bella are gonna fall in love and get married. I just know it."

Julian simply smiled and nodded. He didn't want to crush her hopes. She had no idea about true love. She didn't know just how often heartbreak accompanied it.

Oh, the innocence of youth.

* * *

I don't brag or anything, but I loved this chapter. I loved writing it.

Review!


	12. Chapter 11

Thanks again for all of your wonderful reviews! So if you've read any of my other stories, or even just read a few chapters back, you would know that I'm totally obsessed with the whole meadow thing. I was even before Twilight came alone. The beginning of this chapter features a daydream I had in English the other day, including, of course, a meadow. I really shouldn't have been daydreaming for that long, but what can I say? Of Mice and Men isn't the most exciting book to hear the teacher read to the class. No offense if you like that book.

I actually listened to a classical song for the beginning of this chapter.** "Love me" by Yiruma. **If you don't listen to him, you're nuts. I don't even like classical music, but I think he's amazing.** I really suggest listening to it while reading the start of the chapter. It really adds to it, I think.**

For the rest of the chapter, I listened to "9 Crimes" by Damien Rice. I know the lyrics don't exactly add up, but I think the whole "thinking about you when I shouldn't be" thing goes well with it. So that's what I listened to.

* * *

_Bella stood in a peaceful, serene meadow full of wild flowers and butterflies. It was surrounded by perfectly green trees and the sun was shining through a deep blue, cloudless sky. Though she would deny it, she was more beautiful than she had ever been. Her hair was done in soft curls and she had just enough makeup on for you to notice it. She was barefoot while wearing a sleeveless wedding-style dress in a soft yellow color, greatly complimenting her skin tone. There was a matching flower placed behind her ear, standing out from her cascading chestnut locks. Bella smiled and inhaled deeply the sweet scent of the meadow, knowing that she had never been happier than in that very moment. She looked over her shoulder and smiled softly at the man standing on the other side of the meadow. Her one and only. The love of her life. Edward._

_He was also barefoot while wearing black slacks and a long-sleeved button-up to match Bella's dress. It wasn't tucked in and he had the top two buttons undone, adding to the relaxed feeling Edward and Bella felt when they were together. Edward also had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, just how he knew Bella liked it. His hair was as it always was. Messy, but enticing. _

_He smiled back at his love with equal tenderness. Edward, too, had never felt so at peace than he did right then, watching his Bella chase around the butterflies and pick flowers. He watched her with awe and admiration. How could any creature be so beautiful? To him, she shone brighter than the sun itself, and was more exquisite than the finest of beings. Bella looked back at Edward again as she laughed to herself, but her giggle hindered as she looked at his face. So angelic, she thought. Her eyes started to water because she knew that look. She knew that feeling that he was experiencing. And she was amazed by it, brought to tears by it. Because it was for her._

_Edward chuckled lightly at her as she resumed her play. Bella knew she looked a fool—a grown woman chasing butterflies in such a child-like manner. But it didn't matter. It was just her and Edward, and Bella knew that his love for her was greater than that of Romeo and Juliet. He loved her unconditionally, as she did him._

_Edward slowly walked forward to Bella with an outstretched hand and a special smile that only she had seen. It was her smile. The smile of lovers._

"_Dance with me," he whispered softly as she gently placed her hand in his._

_Bella shook her head, but had a tender smile teasing her lips. "We haven't any music."_

"_We do," Edward disagreed. "Your heart sings to me, and mine to you. Love is our music."_

_Bella smiled tearfully and walked closer to him, proceeding to wrap her arms around his neck. Edward encircled her with his arms and bent his head down to rest his cheek on hers. The swayed slowly, perfectly in sync to the rhythm of their souls. Edward quietly hummed Bella's favorite melody and she closed her eyes, allowing a few tears to slip down her cheeks. Edward pulled back._

"_Love?" he asked._

_She shook her head. "I'm just happy."_

_He grinned before leaning down to kiss her tears away with the most delicate caress, as if he was afraid she would break. He gently kissed her lips before resuming their dance, placing his cheek back on hers. Bella lost track of how long they danced together, because time didn't matter. She was there, with Edward, in his arms. That was all that mattered. That moment, as she rested in her true love's embrace. And she knew he felt the same._

* * *

Bella woke up with a start before groaning and falling back into her bed. She had had the stupid dream. Again. She knew she shouldn't be having such a dream. Edward was definitely _not _the love of her life. Whatever she felt for him wasn't love, and he didn't feel anything at all for her. Bella had started thinking that he did, and she was sure her inference would be confirmed when he kissed her. Then he didn't. He pulled away at the last second, much to her astonishment. But they were _so close_. Bella could feel his warm breath on her lips, and she was sure he'd wanted to kiss her. But he didn't. It probably grossed him out, she thought. He was six years older than her and she was his foster child. Sort of.

When Bella went down for breakfast, she was caught surprised. Edward was...dressed and...showered. Bella furrowed her brows and looked at the clock. He shouldn't be all put together yet. He should still be in his plaid pajamas and wife beater.

"Going somewhere?" she asked, hoping that just jumping into conversation would demolish the chance of any awkwardness between them.

"No, actually," he replied. "My--"

He was interrupted by the sound of four car doors closing. He winced and looked at back at Bella.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I should've warned you."

"About wha--"

"Edwarrrrrd! We're hereeee!" called out two voices, one loud and booming, the other high pitched.

"Kitchen," Edward yelled back.

Not five seconds later, four people were suddenly in the room. Bella took note of all of them. The first was short and pixie-like. Alice, Bella concluded from what Edward had told her about his family. Next to her was an attractive blond male with an arm around Alice's waist. _Jasper_. By his side was almost his identical; a tall, beautiful blond female with perfect features. _Rosalie_. With an arm around her shoulders was a muscular, dark-haired man with the largest grin that Bella had ever seen. _Emmett_. Alice suddenly squealed and ran into Edward's arms. Edward caught her with a chuckle.

"Nice to see you, too, Alice."

She let go and Edward proceeded to greet the rest of his family with much enthusiasm. Bella stood awkwardly as she watched the exchange. Alice looked to her with wide eyes and a grin.

"You must be Bella!" she exclaimed.

"That's me," Bella said lamely.

Alice rushed over to embrace her. "I'm Alice, Edward's sister. This is my boyfriend, Jasper, and his sister--"

"Rosalie," Bella finished. "And that's Emmett. Edward's told me a lot about you guys."

"Only good things, I hope," Jasper politely interjected.

Bella smiled. "Absolutely."

Edward rubbed his hands together. "C'mon, people. I didn't spend an hour making breakfast for it to not get eaten."

"It'll get eaten," Rosalie started. "Emmett's here."

Everyone laughed in unison before going to the dining table.

Breakfast was anything but silent. Much to her dismay, Bella was the center of attention. All four of their guests had rounds of questions to ask her. Bella couldn't help but to remember her first few weeks with Edward and how he had bombarded her with questions. She smiled to herself at the memory.

Edward stared at Bella all through breakfast. He was agonizingly conflicted. He knew he felt something for her, but he also knew he couldn't. It was wrong. He did his best to ignore it, but it consumed him like a wild fire. It was all he felt and, quite frankly, all he wanted to feel. It was the perfect balance of pleasure and pain. And right on that line is where it would stay, never to cross. Lines were dangerous, and some weren't meant to be passed over.

Alice cleared her throat as everyone finished their food. They halted their conversations and looked to her. She turned to Bella.

"Me and Rosalie would _love_ to see your room. Wouldn't we, Rose?"

Rosalie smiled as she caught on. "Absolutely. I'm sure the boys can handle the dishes."

The boys groaned but nodded, all knowing that Rosalie wasn't one to argue with.

"Wonderful!" Alice exclaimed. "Lead the way, Bella."

Emmett waited for the girls to leave the room before whispering to Jasper, "What do you think they're up to?"

"The same thing we're about to be up to," he replied in an equally soft voice.

Emmett grinned and nodded. "Awesome."

* * *

"Ugh, this is terrible!" Alice yelled in disgust. "Edward has no idea how to stock a closet. We have _got _to go shopping soon, Bella."

"Edward's been great," Bella defended. "He wanted to buy me more, but I refused."

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Bella, Bella, Bella! Don't you know Edward's filthy rich?"

"Yes, but I still feel bad letting him buy me so much."

"Whatever," Rosalie said dismissively. "Let's get to the real deal."

Bella looked back and forth between Rosalie and Alice in confusion. Alice threw her hands in the air.

"The real deal! What's going on with you and Edward?!"

Bella's stomach tied up in knots. "Uh...not—nothing. We're—we're friends."

Rosalie and Alice looked at each other and rolled their eyes. "Edward hasn't looked at anyone the way he looks at you since...well, forever. He didn't even look at Tanya like that."

Bella shook her head. "You—you're imagining things, Alice. It isn't like that."

"But you want it to be," Rosalie commented.

"What?" Bella ejaculated. "No way. That's—ew. No." _Only in my dreams._

"So you're saying you don't feel _anything_ for Edward?" Alice asked.

"Absolutely not," she answered. _Except undeniable attraction and admiration._

"And you've never had a dream about him?" questioned Rose.

"No—nope." _Except every night._

Rosalie and Alice sighed. "Well, no matter what you say, Bella, Edward still looks at you like you put the stars in the sky."

"It's so adorable!" Alice cooed.

"You're crazy," said Bella while her insides were jumping. Did he really look at her like that? "Edward and I are just friends. Nothing more. Besides, he's...my foster parent." _Barely._

"Not for long."

Bella shook her head again. "Just friends."

"Okay. Whatever you say. Let's go make sure the boys didn't break all the dishes."

Bella left as Rosalie and Alice lingered behind. They look at each other with a knowing smile before saying in unison,

"She loves him!"

* * *

"I'm drying, you're scrubbing!"

"No, you scrub, I'll dry!"

"No!"

"Guys!" shouted Jasper. "Who cares? Just put them in the dishwasher. It's easier."

Emmett and Edward looked at each other and shrugged. "Makes sense," Emmett commented. "But on another subject, Edward...you guys shack up yet?"

Edward dropped the plate in his hand, but Jasper was quick to catch it. Edward shot him a look of thanks.

"It's—it's not like that. She's my foster kid. We're more like friends than anything."

"Hm, right. That's why you stared at her all through breakfast."

"No, I didn't," Edward said defensively. _I looked away once._

"C'mon, Edward," Jasper started. "You can't possibly deny that there's something between you two."

"Friendship is all there is, Jazz." _Unfortunately._

"No way, man. You know how I am. Sensitive to people's emotions and all that crap. I _know _there's a connection between you two. My spidey senses were tingling."

"Your senses are out of whack."

"Nope," Emmett said. "I felt it, too. It was H-O-T, hot in here during breakfast! You want her, man. Bad."

"I do not!" _I want her a helluva lot more than that._

"Whatever, man. Don't diss Jasper's spidey senses."

Their conversation came to a halt as the girls entered the room.

"Well, we really must be off," Alice said sadly.

Everyone exchanged goodbye hugs, the Jasper and Emmett taking time to wink at Edward, and Alice and Rosalie doing the same to Bella.

"We'll see you at Christmas!" Alice excitingly yelled.

Bella turned to Edward with a confused look.

"Christmas?"

Edward rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, yeah. I thought you might wanna spend Christmas with my family..."

Bella smiled. "I'd love to."

Edward smiled at her. "I've got some homework to do so..."

"Yeah, I, uh, I gotta shower and stuff."

"Okay. So...I'll see you later." Edward walked off to his study.

Bella watched him go with an expression that Alice and Rosalie described Edward's staring with.

Like he had put the stars in the sky.

* * *

Emmett and Jasper turned to Rosalie and Alice from the backseat of the car.

"Loves him?" they both asked.

"Yep," the girls answered. "Loves her?"

"Definitely," the boys replied.

They all smiled.

"Excellent."

* * *

Review!


	13. Chapter 12

Thanks a million for all of your reviews! To address what some of you pointed out, yes, real life has been getting on the way of writing. I know it's a huge shift from me updating everyday to update every week or two. I apologize about that and hope you can understand my situation.

Continuing on my classical music obsession, I listened to the infamous-in-the-Twilight-community song "The River Flows In You" by Yiruma during this chapter. Edward will be playing piano in this chapter, and this is the song I envision him playing. Though the text will say he composed it, I really just picture him playing Yiruma. If you wanna make up a song in your head, be my guest. I found this a lot easier.

* * *

"What if they don't like me?" Bella asked worriedly. It was Christmas Eve and, like Edward had promised, they were on their way to California to spend Christmas with his family. Bella had been asking about his parents the whole way, and had now gone onto the subject on whether or not they would approve of her. Edward rolled his eyes for what felt like the billionth time.

"They'll love you, Bells. If Rosalie loves you, which she does, they will, too. Rose doesn't like a lot of people, so it's amazing that she took to you so quickly. Calm down a little. You're frantic."

Bella huffed before turning her head to look out the window. He really didn't understand. Bella wasn't the kind of girl that parents liked. Parents liked girls like Alice and Rosalie. Beautiful, talented, graceful, and, in this case, rich. Bella scored a zero out of four on that test. She was as plain as a white wall, talented in nothing, as graceful as Humpty Dumpty, and poor as dirt. There was no way Carlisle and Esme would like her.

"My parents love everyone, Bella," Edward said as if reading her thoughts, again. "They would feel sympathy for a serial killer on death row if they met him."

Bella looked at him with an "as if" expression. Edward shrugged.

"Okay, maybe not a serial killer. But they love everyone. I...Alice loves you, Rosalie loves you, Emmett, Jasper. You'll be fine." _That was a close one._

"Whatever you say, Edward," Bella replied, unconvinced. The remainder of the long car ride was endured in silence, both entertained by their own thoughts of what was to come.

* * *

"BELLA!" Alice and Emmett shouted from the porch of the Cullen household. Both jogged to Edward's car and enveloped her in a hug. Jasper and Rosalie soon joined, showering Bella with their own respective ways of salutations. Bella nervously averted her gaze to the couple approaching them. Graceful and beautiful, just like the rest. Edward's father, Carlisle, had groomed blond hair and bright blue eyes, whilst his wife, Esme, had auburn hair and hazel eyes. Both held warm smiles on their faces as the neared Bella.

"Welcome to our home, Bella," Esme greeted before giving Bella a soft hug. Bella almost gasped at the compassion Esme's hug radiated. She had just met Edward's mother, yet she could already feel herself being loved. How could that be? Esme finally pulled away and smiled at her before Carlisle stepped forward.

"It's very nice to finally meet you, Bella. Edward's told us so much about you." Just like his wife, Carlisle's voice held kindness like Bella had never heard before. What was with these people? They were rich. Shouldn't they be stuck up snobs? A stereotype, Bella concluded. A stereotype that these people would be appalled to hear of. Bella smiled at both of them politely.

"It's nice to meet you both, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen," she greeted.

"Bella, please, call us Carlisle and Esme," Esme said with a gentle smile that seemed to never leave her flawless face. Bella returned her smile and nodded.

"Shall we go in?" Carlisle asked the group as he waved his hand toward the house. They mumbled in agreement before starting for the house.

"Allow me, Ms. Swan," Emmett said before picking up Bella's bags. Bella briefly remembered Edward telling her about their mother teaching them chivalry. It was apparent in both of the Cullen boys.

Though Bella had prepared herself in anticipation of the interior, her breath was still taken away. The entrance had a high ceiling with a gold chandelier hanging down elegantly. The walls were painted with intricate designs that were reflected on the furniture throughout the household. Everything complimented each other, much like in Edward's own house.

"You have a very beautiful home," Bella commented.

Esme smiled. "I'm sure Edward's told you all about my profession."

Bella nodded. "It seems to reflect in every place that a Cullen is present."

"It better," Esme replied with a teasing tone whilst staring down her sons. They both cleared their throats before running upstairs to put the luggage away.

"Let me show you your room, Bella!" Alice exclaimed before taking her hand and dragging her upstairs. "It's right next to mine and across from Edward's. You'll _love _it!"

If Bella thought her room at Edward's house was huge, then this room must be enormous. There was practically a living room _inside_ of her room. It wasn't until after you turned the corner that you actually found the bed and dresser. It had a sliding glass door to an outside patio with an astounding view of the ocean. Bella turned to Alice with her mouth agape.

"I know," Alice said with a grin. "It's freakin' awesome!"

Bella simply nodded, unable to form a coherent thought, much less a tangible sentence.

"I'll let you get settled in and stuff. I'm sure you're tired after the long trip. See you tomorrow!" Alice skipped out of the room as Edward walked in.

"Your room at home sucks crap compared to this, huh?" he said with smile.

"It _is _pretty amazing."

"I'm glad you like it," he remarked. "I'm sure you wanna get to sleep so...I'm across the hall if you need anything. Goodnight, Bells."

"'Night, Edward," she returned. He gave Bella her favorite crooked smile before leaving her room.

Bella fell back in her bed after watching him go and allowed sleep to overcome her.

* * *

"BELLA, WAKE UP! IT'S CHRISTMAS!" Emmett yelled, jumping on her bed all the while. Bella groaned, but couldn't resist from smiling. _He's just like a little kid._

"Emmett, I'm up! I'm up!" She threw the covers back and rubbed her eyes before looking at the clock on her nightstand. She gasped. "Emmett, it's 5am! Why are we awake already?!"

"Not everyone is. Just me, you, and Edward. I'm always up early on Christmas and Edward said he had some surprise for you. So you have to go to the kitchen and find out what it is. _I _know what it is, but it doesn't make any sense to me. He said you'll understand, though..." Bella had to hold back a laugh at his confused expression. It was obviously very troubling to him to not know exactly what was going on.

"Thank you for the wake up call, Emmett. I'll be on my way downstairs now." She arose from the bed and headed down the steps.

When Bella made it to the kitchen, she felt a sense of familiarity at the sight of Edward in his plaid pajama pants and wife beater. But this time, he wasn't cooking. He was..._oh my God._

"Edward..." Bella whispered with tears in her eyes. "Edward, you're baking muffins."

Edward nodded and replied in an equally soft voice, "Just like you and your mom used to." He stared at her for a moment before continuing. "I thought you might wanna reestablish the tradition. Keep it alive. Keep her memory alive."

Bella mustered a watery smile and nodded. "I'd love to. Thank you."

Edward smiled as Bella walked over to him. He opened his arms to her, and she eagerly entered them. He held her while she cried silent tears, soothingly rubbing her back. Bella pulled back and wiped her eyes.

"What kinda muffins are we making?" she asked excitingly.

Edward turned to the island beside him. "Well, we have about every kind there is. We can make whichever kind, or kinds, that you'd like."

"Blueberry," she immediately said. "Mom and I always made blueberry."

Edward smiled. "Blueberry it is."

For the next hour, Bella and Edward baked to their hearts content, laughing all the while. They took turns licking the bowl and throwing batter at each other. By the end of the hour, they were both on the floor, doubled over with laughter, covered in muffin mix. Edward finally stood and offered his hand to help Bella up. She accepted.

"You, uh, you got some mix on your nose," Edward commented. He chuckled as she looked cross-eyed at her nose. "I got it."

Bella stiffened as Edward leaned forward and kissed her nose, removing the batter from its previous position. He pulled back and stared deeply into her eyes.

"All gone," he whispered. Edward brought one hand up to stroke her cheek, and she leaned into his alluring touch. Edward raised his other hand to cup her opposite cheek and moved slightly forward, connecting his forehead with hers. They stood in that position, both afraid to move neither closer or pull away. They didn't want to break the bond, but knew that one step closer would cross the invisible line detested by both. Edward opened his mouth to speak his mind, but was interrupted by a ding.

"Muffins are ready," he announced, pulling away all too quickly for Bella's liking. _What is going on here?_, Bella asked in her mind. She took a deep breath, preparing to ask the ultimate question, when she heard footsteps. The rest of the family had awakened.

"Merry Christmas!" Alice greeted in her usual chipper tone. The rest of the family filed in, each muttering the holiday greeting. "So, Edward...do you have something to play this year?"

Bella looked at Alice in confusion. "Play?"

Alice gasped. "You mean he didn't tell you?"

Bella shook her head.

"Dude," Emmett started. "Edward is, like, the master of piano. He composes _and _he plays. He usually has something new to play every year, but ever since—ow!" Rosalie had jabbed him in the ribs in order to keep him from completing the sentence.

"I actually do have something to play this year," Edward said cheerfully. He was obviously proud of this fact.

"Oh, Honey," Esme uttered in astonishment. "When did you start writing again?"

Edward shrugged. "I don't know. July, August. Around then."

Alice and Rosalie looked at each other with wide eyes before sharing a knowing smile.

"Well, what are you waiting for, son? Go play," suggested Carlisle. Everyone then proceeded into the piano room.

"You have a piano room?" Bella asked in awe.

Esme smiled. "Edward always felt that his piano should have its own special room. It also gave him a nice, quiet room to write his compositions in. Great works have come out of this place."

Bella nodded before turning her attention to Edward. He rubbed his hands together, rolled back his shoulders, and took a deep breath before starting his piece.

Bella's breath got caught in her throat the second he started playing. Not only was the music beautiful, but _he _was beautiful as he played it. Edward's eyes were glazed over as memories overtook him. Bella, too, was reliving the memories his piece reflected. She could remember them all. The beginning of the song, slow and intricate, reminded her of when they had first met. Mysteries surrounded them, but they couldn't stay away from each other, despite barely knowing anything about each other. The music picked up slightly, reminding Bella of when her and Edward started to bond. The days discussing music, art, literature, everything, were brought in her head. She would never forget those moments when she learned the little details about Edward that she treasured so much. The music slowed slightly, bringing on reminiscences of the fair, and the feelings Bella had felt when Edward almost kissed her. She closed her eyes at the memory. It picked up again, making Bella think of the intense moments they had shared. Such passion had flown through them during those times; Bella thought the emotions could kill her. It slowed considerably and, somehow, made Bella sad. It reminded her of how they couldn't be together. Society would never approve, and she knew that whatever Edward felt for her wasn't strong enough to overcome such obstacles. Edward finished the song with a sullen expression, no doubt reliving the same memories as her, and having the same realizations. Bella only then realized that tears had been spilling down her cheeks. She wiped them away before clapping with the rest of the clan.

"That was amazing," Rosalie complimented.

Jasper leaned over to Emmett. "Wonder where the inspiration came from." He and Emmett shared a chuckle.

Edward stood and looked at Bella. His eyes bore into hers, trying to communicate what he knew he couldn't verbalize. Bella broke the gaze, unwilling to perceive his message.

"Whose ready for presents?" Carlisle asked with a smile. Emmett was gone in a flash, running toward the living room where the tree had been set up. Everyone chuckled before following him at a much _slower_ pace.

They proceeded to pass around gifts, "ohs" and "ahs" being repeated constantly. Bella laughed as she opened Emmett's gift.

"Soap on a rope?" she asked.

Emmett nodded. "It's amazing stuff."

She laughed again and shook her head. "Thank you, Emmett. I love it."

Emmett grin and turned to Rosalie. "I told you she'd love it." Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"One gift left," Alice announced before picking it up. "To Bella, from Edward." She walked over to Bella and handed it to her before returning to her spot on the couch next to Jasper. Bella slowly tore the wrapping paper, and the sight brought tears to her eyes.

It was a picture of her and her parents. It had been taken two weeks before they died. Bella was on her dad shoulders and Renee had her arms wrapped around Charlie's waist. Bella recognized the picture, but was still confused.

"Edward..." She stopped to compose herself before continuing. "Edward, the last time I saw this picture, it was—it was all torn up. Practically ruined."

Edward shrugged. "I know a guy. Got it restored and framed."

Bella only then noticed the exquisite frame surrounding the photograph. It was a dark shade of mahogany with intricate designs all around. They could have been flowers or peanuts, for all Bella knew. But she knew it was beautiful.

Edward cleared his throat. "I didn't know what color you liked, so I just went with mahogany. It, uh...it reminded me of your hair."

Bella looked up at him as tears flowed freely down her cheeks. "I love it, Edward. Thank you. So, so much."

He smiled at her genuinely.

"Edward, I feel so terrible. I mean, you did this and the muffins, but...I didn't get you anything. I didn't get any of you anything."

"It's perfectly alright, Bella," Esme soothed. "We have more than we could ever ask for. Really, don't feel bad."

Bella nodded, but still felt a slight pang of guilt.

"Now," Carlisle said to break the silence. "How about we go try some of those muffins you guys made this morning? They smell delicious."

Emmett led the pack once again, determined to get to the food. They all entered the kitchen, but Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice lingered behind. Emmett made eye contact with them and nodded.

"So," Emmett stared with his mouth full on muffin, "I was watching 'Man Vs. Wild' the other day, and you should've seen what he did..."

Edward, Bella, and Esme listened intently, falling for his distraction. Carlisle, however, noticed the others' absence. He saw them quietly standing at the doorway to the kitchen. Jasper had a long rod in his hand and, at the end of it, dangled a mistletoe. Jasper was staring at the ceiling in concentration. Carlisle looked up and took note of a hook hanging from the ceiling, conveniently over Bella and Edward's heads. He shook his head and smiled. Jasper finally hooked the mistletoe in place and pulled the rod back before setting in quietly on the ground. They subtly entered the kitchen, grins plastered on their faces.

"Uh oh! Bella and Edward are under the mistletoe!" Rosalie announced in a sing-song voice. "Guess you guys are just gonna have to kiss!"

"You have _got _to be kidding me..." Edward muttered to himself.

"C'mon, Eddie. Give Bells a peck," Emmett encouraged.

"We—we can't," Bella stuttered. "He's—he's my fost--"

"Oh, please," Alice scoffed. "It's just us, and you said yourself that you guys are more friends than anything. And _friends_ kiss when they get caught under the mistletoe."

"Come on, Edward," Jasper said. "It's just a little Christmas kiss. What's the harm?"

"I..." Edward trailed. He didn't know what to say. He turned to Bella and shrugged. "We aren't getting out of this."

Bella nodded and moved slightly closer to him. The rest of the family grew silent as they watched. Edward leaned down as Bella moved closer. He grew intoxicated as he felt Bella's warm breath on his lips, as he caught a whiff of her sweet strawberry scent. He could feel the heat radiating from her body. His forehead leaned on hers as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Their noses were near enough to touch now. Their breathing was heavy to match the unsteady beat of their hearts. Edward leaned even closer, wanting nothing more than to touch his lips to hers. To seal the connection. To close the space between them. Every fiber in his being said to angle his head slightly to the right and press his lips on hers. He wanted to feel her. He wanted to kiss her and experience the rush of emotions that he was sure would flow through him. He wanted to feel her kiss back with equal tenderness and passion. He wanted to feel the love from her heart make an unbreakable bond with his. He wanted to kiss her. So he did.

On the cheek.

Bella let out a breath she had been unknowingly holding. _The cheek? Seriously?_ Edward pulled back and gave her a slightly awkward smile.

"Happy?" Edward asked as he turned back to his family. They were all staring with wide eyes and open mouths. They couldn't believe what they had just witnessed. Everyone stood in awkward silence.

"Wha...?" Emmett sort of said. "Dude..." Emmett stomped over to Edward and grabbed his arm. He looked to Jasper and jerked his head toward the steps before dragging Edward up the steps.

"Bella. Living room. Now," Alice demanded. Bella didn't dare disobey, so she followed Alice and Rosalie out of the kitchen.

Carlisle turned to Esme. "Whoa."

She nodded. "Oh yeah."

* * *

"JUST FRIENDS?!" Alice and Rosalie exclaimed.

"_Friends _don't have chemistry like that!" Alice yelled.

"_Friends _don't have looks of disappointment when the guy doesn't kiss her!" Rosalie shouted.

"_Friends _don't _want _their friends to kiss them!"

"_Friends_ don't write music for the first time since their daughter died when that other _friend_ enters their life!"

Alice and Rosalie huffed before looking at each other and roaring in unison, "_FRIENDS _DON'T FALL IN LOVE WITH ONE ANOTHER!"

Bella sighed and fidgeted. "I know."

"You know?" Alice squeaked.

Bella nodded. "I know. I really, really like Edward. More than I should. And yes, I definitely wanted him to kiss me, and yes, I was very disappointed that he didn't. But he doesn't see me like that."

"_He doesn't see you like that?_" Rosalie hissed. "Do you see the way he looks at you? Did you see the agony etched on his face when he pulled away from you? He wanted nothing more than to kiss you!"

Bella shook her head. "We've almost kissed before, and he did the same thing. He obviously doesn't want to kiss me, which means that he definitely doesn't feel the same way I do." Bella's heart ached as she spoke.

Rosalie shook her head. "You're really, really blind, Bella."

"No," she disagreed. "You guys are just looking for something that isn't there. Give it up. Edward and I are just friends, and that's all we'll ever be." Bella's voice cracked as she finished her sentence. She sighed before jumping up and dashing to her room.

Alice looked to Rosalie and sighed. "How do we make her see it?"

Rosalie shrugged. "Hell if I know."

They both averted their gaze to the floor, sadly pondering the unawareness of Bella.

* * *

"What the hell was that?!" Emmett yelled. "God damn, Edward! You guys were about to light the house on fire!"

"Seriously, man," Jasper continued, "_that _was intense."

Edward shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Bella doesn't see me like that."

"To hell she don't!" Emmett shouted. "Do you know how badly she wanted you to kiss her? Like, seriously, dude. You should've seen her face."

Edward looked to Jasper for confirmation. Jasper nodded.

"Guys, look...Bella doesn't feel the same about me as I do for her. We're just friends according to her, and that's all we're gonna be. I'm not going to force myself on her. She just wants to be friends, and I just want her to be happy. So, despite what I want, I will remain to be just her friend. That's what makes her happy."

"Oh my God!" Emmett exclaimed as he threw his hands in the air. "You are so stupid! I raised you better than this, man!"

"Really, Edward. She wants to be more than friends. Don't make me start talking about my damn spidey senses again."

Edward sighed before repeating, "Bella and I are friends. And that's all we'll ever be. Now get out of my room."

Neither moved an inch.

"OUT!"

Emmett and Jasper rolled their eyes, but listened to him and left. When out of hearing range, they turned to each other.

"He's gonna go crazy, man," Emmett commented.

Jasper nodded. "I know."

"Think he'll do anything?"

Jasper shrugged. "With how strongly he feels for her, I wouldn't put it past him. But this _is _Edward we're talking about."

"Pfft, yeah. Freakin' idiot."

Jasper and Emmett shook their heads sadly, both hoping Edward would realize what was meant to be.

* * *

Review!


	14. Chapter 13

¡Gracias por las revisiones!

(Thanks for the reviews!)

* * *

"You call me a stranger, you say I'm a danger, but all these thoughts are leaving you tonight, I'm broke and abandoned, you are an angel, making all my dreams come true tonight...I would give my final breath to make you understand how beautiful you are" - Stranger by Secondhand Serenade

* * *

"Promise, promise, _promise_ me that you'll be back for Valentine's Day!"

Edward rolled his eyes. "Alice, why would I come on Valentine's Day? To watch you and Jasper and Emmett and Rosalie be all lovey-dovey while I sit around, all alone?"

Alice glanced slyly at Bella before replying, "I don't think you'll be alone." She grinned and showered him and Bella in kisses once more before going inside with the rest of the family, all of which had already said their goodbyes. Everyone waved from the window as Edward and Bella pulled away in that shiny, silver Volvo.

Carlisle turned to face the young adults. "That wasn't very nice, you know."

They all furrowed their brows.

"What wasn't?" Emmett asked.

Carlisle cocked his head to the right. "The mistletoe, Emmett. The mistletoe. You guys need to leave them alone. If it's meant to be, it'll happen."

"But--," they all started to argue in unison.

Carlisle lifted a hand to stop them. "No 'buts'. This is their relationship. It's wrong of us—of you four—to interfere. We don't know exactly how they feel about one another. That could've been a very awkward situation for one, or both, of them."

Emmett snickered. "We know how they feel, Pops. You can't say you didn't see what happened. You didn't _feel_ it." He made a gesture with his hands to try to emphasize his point. Rosalie giggled at him.

Carlisle shook his head. "I'm not saying I didn't...notice something...different in the air. But still. Leave them alone." He stared them down individually before walking off.

Esme looked away from where she had been watching her husband leave and directed her gaze to the youngest four. She grinned.

"I thought it was brilliant!"

Everyone laughed before following Carlisle.

* * *

Bella walked up the steps feeling extremely self-conscious. The car ride home had been practically silent, except for questions such as, "Do you wanna stop for food?" or "Should we make a bathroom stop?" Edward's silence confirmed to Bella that he was uncomfortable about their second almost kiss. She foolishly let her hopes get high a few times, hoping that he felt awkward for the same reasons as her, but she knew, deep down, that it wasn't true. He quite obviously did _not _want to kiss her. He probably knew about her feelings for him and was just trying to think of a way to let her down easily. It wasn't possible for him to feel the same way as Bella. It just wasn't.

Despite Bella's personal conclusions, she still couldn't ignore the second reason why she was feeling self-conscious. He had been staring at her. _A lot. _It was always a confused kind of stare—like he was trying to figure something out. But, Bella was sure, he was really just trying to come up with some way of subtly saying he wasn't interested. Bella knew that he did care for her in some way, and therefore didn't want to hurt her feelings. _Fat chance, _Bella scoffed. She sighed before opening her door and entering her room to unpack her things.

Meanwhile, Edward was sitting on a stool in the kitchen with his elbows resting on the island and his head in his hands. What was he going to do? He couldn't resist her much longer. Though his physical attraction to her was hard to ignore, it wasn't just that. It was those weird, gushy things he was feeling. They pulled him toward her like a giant magnet. He knew he couldn't stay away. It was impossible. And there was also that stabbing feeling, which surely wasn't helping. It was excruciating, but somehow welcomed. It was an agonizing, grueling feeling, but yet it was making him feel alive for the first time in three years. Edward knew that Bella and Bella alone was the source of such emotions. He had never felt this way before, not even with Tanya in their many years together. What was he supposed to do? These weren't feelings he could just shove to the side anymore like he had when she first arrived. No, they were much too strong now to be neglected.

_But what was he supposed to do? _Bella was only seventeen, and she was his foster child. There was nothing he could do. It was illegal and immoral. Hell, for him to be thinking of her in such a way was immoral in itself. And Esme had raised him with morals. So he wouldn't do anything. He would just sit back and abstain from acting on his emotions and desires, no matter how much they dominated his thoughts and dreams. It was all he _could _do.

Edward lifted his head out of his hands as his phone started to ring. He sighed and rubbed his eyes before moving to pick it up.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Cullen? Julie Wilson."

* * *

Bella paused from unpacking her things when she came across the picture Edward had given her. No matter how many times she looked at it, which was quite a few times, it still brought tears to her eyes. It wasn't only the content of the photograph that rushed emotions through her, but the thought that Edward had put behind it. She would have never thought of something like that. It was considerate and caring and sweet and just...amazing. Bella kept wishing it was considerate and caring and sweet and amazing in the way she wanted it to be, but she knew better than to waste a wish on something that she knew would never come true.

"BELLA!" Edward yelled from downstairs. Bella flinched. He had called for her before, yes, but he had never screamed, and had never used such a tone. Butterflies filled her stomach as she walked cautiously down the steps.

When Bella entered the kitchen, she could tell Edward was mad. His hands were gripping the edge of the island, so hard that some of the veins in his arms were popping out, and his breathing was heavy. He looked up at her, and Bella had to immediately break the stare. It was terrifying.

"Is there anything you need to tell me?" he asked slowly, his eyes boring a hole in her skull.

"Um...n—no," she answered lamely. "Edward, what's going on? Who was on the phone?"

"You're sure that there's absolutely _nothing_ you need to tell me?" he asked again, ignoring her questions.

"No," she repeated. "Edward, what's--"

"That was Ms. Wilson from the foster home. She gave me some information that she thought I would have already received. To confirm her accusations, I would like you to tell me what happened on November 3rd, Bella."

Bella froze. How did he know?

"_What happened on November 3rd, Bella?_"

"I...," Bella swallowed back the lump that had built up in her throat. "I turned eighteen."

"You turned eighteen," he said softly. He turned so that his back was facing her for a moment before turning back around. "Did you think to, oh, I don't know, _tell me_?"

"I—I was going to. Really, I was."

"Then why didn't you?" he shouted. "Two months, Bella! Two fucking months you've been here, living with me, yet you weren't my foster kid. You were just some girl living in my house."

Bella winced at his words. _Just some girl?_

"I'm sorry, Edward. I—I couldn't tell you."

"Why not?"

_Think, Bella, think._ "I...you would've kicked me out. You would've kicked me out and I—I don't have anywhere to go." _Please, please, please..._

"Bella," Edward whispered. His features noticeably softened. "Bella, I would never..."

He walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders before continuing. "Bella, I would never kick you out. You can stay here as long as you want or need to."

Bella mustered a watery smile. "Thank you."

Edward smiled back at her before leaning over to kiss her forehead then take her into his arms. Bella leaned her head against his toned chest and smiled. _Thank you._

"Well," Edward started as he pulled back, "how about we go out for some ice cream and forget about this whole thing?"

Bella nodded. "Sounds great. I'll go grab my coat. Be right down."

"Oh, and Bella?" Edward called before she made it all the way up the stairs. Bella turned to see him poking his head around the corner.

"When I said you were just some girl living here...that's not true. You aren't just some girl."

Edward smiled at her again before leaving her sight. Bella sighed and closed her eyes.

He was _way_ too confusing.

* * *

"Where to?" Edward asked when they got in the car.

Bella bit her lip, and Edward couldn't help but to let his gaze travel there. She looked _way _too kissable right now.

"There's a Dairy Queen in the mall, right?"

Edward nodded. "Dairy Queen it is."

When they got to the mall, Edward was quick to take Bella's hand in his.

"It's crowded," he explained when he noticed her puzzled look. Edward wasn't planning on telling her about the group of boys that were eying her, and how his jealous and possessive side had taken a hold of him. Bella shrugged, accepting his lame excuse. She wasn't going to complain about the fact that he was holding her hand.

They got to Dairy Queen and ordered their ice cream before sitting on a nearby bench.

"You're family was really great," Bella said, attempting to start a conversation.

Edward smiled. "Yeah, they're something."

"What was it like? Growing up with all those people?"

Edward was saddened when he looked at Bella's face. She was so eager to know the answer, so curious as to what he would say. Because she didn't know what it was like to grow up with a family and friends. And Edward hated that.

"It was good, most of the time. I mean, of course we all had our fights. Alice and I were constantly arguing about Tanya. Alice absolutely hated her. Rosalie, too. Emmett and I always had the whole competition thing. Big brother verses little brother. It was all in good fun, though. We usually got along. Jasper and I only fought once, I remember. A week after he and Alice started dating, I saw him hug another girl. I was pissed. Pinned him against the wall and everything. Turns out that it was his cousin. She was visiting for Christmas break.

"As for my parents, well..." Edward grimaced. "I wasn't...respectful in high school. I was a little rebellious."

Bella gasped mockingly. "Perfect little Edward Cullen was a _rebel_?"

Edward chuckled. "Not a rebel exactly. I got good grades and everything. They didn't like Tanya, just like Alice. I'd get in fights with them about it all the time. I'd sneak out, leave for a weekend without calling to tell them where I was...you know, the works."

Bella nodded. "But it was nice, right? Knowing someone was there for you whenever you needed them?"

Edward looked in her eyes softly. "Yeah. Yeah, it was nice."

Bella broke the gaze as her eyes started to water. Edward wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his chest.

"It's alright, Bella. You've got me now. And Alice and Rosalie and Emmett and everyone else. You're one of us now."

She nodded against his chest as silent tears streamed down her cheeks. Edward continued to rub her shoulder and whisper comforting words in her ear. He stared at the bank in front of them and furrowed his brows. The bank. _The bank._ What was it about the bank that he was trying to remember? He knew he didn't have anything to deposit, and he had enough cash on him to last another few weeks. The bank. The bank. The bank. Bella. Bella. The bank. Bella.

_As soon as I turn eighteen, I'm out of here. I've got enough money for a year's rent in an apartment. _

Edward inhaled sharply as he remembered Bella's exact words. She lied. She lied to him.

"Get up, Bella," he ordered in a dark voice. Bella noticed that he had gone stiff.

"Edward?" she asked, concerned. "Edward, are you al--"

"I said get up," Edward commanded again. "We're going home."

Bella stood and flinched when Edward roughly grab her arm. He lightened his grip immediately, but still held on to her with a firm grasp. Bella didn't say a word—she was speechless in fear. She'd never seen Edward like this. He was sweet and affectionate one moment, and infuriated the next. What the hell was going on?

When they got home, Edward gently yet authoritatively lead her into the kitchen. Bella stood against the island and gripped the edges tightly in unease. She knew he wouldn't hurt her, but it was still terrifying to see Edward like that.

Edward stood with his arms folded and stared at her with an icy glare.

"_You lied to me,_" he said through clenched teeth.

_Shit. Be calm, Bella, be calm._ "No, I didn't."

"Yes, yes you did." He moved slightly closer to her. "You have enough money for a year on your own. You told me. I'm not gonna kick you out, okay? I promised I wouldn't. But you're sure as hell gonna tell me the truth. I do _not _tolerate being lied to, Isabella."

Bella looked everywhere but him. "I'm sorry, Edward. I'm really, really sorry. I just...I couldn't tell you. I still can't. I just—I need you to trust me."

"No," he replied firmly. "Tell me. Right now."

Bella continuously opened and closed her mouth, as if trying to find the right words to say.

"Now!"

"I love it here!" she exclaimed. "I absolutely love it here! I love your family and your house. I love being here with you! Ever since I got here, ever since I saw you, I feel this...weird stuff! My insides are flipping constantly and my heart is always beating ten times faster than it should be! And then there's this—this..._painful_ feeling. Because I know, _I know_ nothing is going to happen. I know you don't feel the same. I know that me telling you this—it probably makes you wanna puke. But, Edward, I'm _happy _here. I'm happy when I'm with you. For the first time since I was ten-years-old, I am _happy_. And that's because of you, Edward! That's because of how you make me feel. I feel things for you that I never imagined I could feel. It's crazy! It's uncomfortable and confusing and I feel like a giddy twelve-year-old, but I love it! I don't want it to go away! I want to stay here, with you. I want to be a part of your family. I want you to see me as more than just some girl living in your house. I want you to see me as more than your foster kid. I want you to see me as the eighteen-year-old woman that I am. I want you to see...me."

Bella wiped at the tears that had proceeded to fall from her eyes. She took a deep breath to compose herself then looked up at Edward. He was staring right at here with his mouth slightly agape. His breathing was heavy, and his eyes were clouded.

"You're eighteen," he whispered.

Bella nodded.

"You're eighteen," Edward repeated, firmly this time.

"Yes, Edward, I'm eighteen. Have been for two months."

Edward stared at Bella with a defiant gaze. _She was eighteen. _She wasn't his foster child anymore. And even more than that, she had just said everything that he had wanted to say to her. She was standing there, looking more beautiful than ever before. Her eyes were begging for it as she licked her lips. That was it. His emotions and senses were heightened and haywire. His desires coursed through him with fervent compassion and love. He was done. There was no more resisting. She was eighteen, and this was okay. This was what was supposed to happen. It was time to ignore his head, and follow his heart.

Edward lunged forward, took Bella's face in his hands, and crashed his lips to hers.

* * *

Yay! I really thought you guys would guess that she was already 18. I mean, she was like, he's sorta my foster parent and she stumbled over it that one time. But oh well. I'm sure some of you did.

So I've been getting mixed reviews about the whole everyone-in-heaven-looking-down thing. If you could include a "yes" or "no" in your review as to whether or not to continue them, I would greatly appreciate it. Majority will rule.

Review and don't forget your answer!


	15. Chapter 14

I am totally speechless. The last chapter had over 100 reviews. I can't put my gratitude into words. That's amazing to me. Thank you guys so, so much.

So yes totally outweighed no. But the heaven scene will only be in one or two more times. So if you don't prefer it, don't worry. You can always just skip over it. Nothing vital is said in that section.

Last, you guys should really appreciate this chapter. My pinky is broken so it was pretty hard to type, seeing as 'a' is pretty common in words.

* * *

"Dear my love, haven't you wanted to be with me  
And dear my love, haven't you longed to be free  
I can't keep pretending that I don't even know you  
And at sweet night, you are my own  
Take my hand

_[CHORUS:]_  
We're leaving here tonight  
There's no need to tell anyone  
They'd only hold us down  
So by the morning light  
We'll be half way to anywhere  
Where love is more than just your name

I have dreamt of a place for you and I  
No one knows who we are there  
All I want is to give my life only to you  
I've dreamt so long I cannot dream anymore  
Let's run away, I'll take you there

We're leaving here tonight  
There's no need to tell anyone  
They'd only hold us down  
So by the mornings light  
We'll be half way to anywhere  
Where no one needs a reason

Forget this life  
Come with me  
Don't look back you're safe now  
Unlock your heart  
Drop your guard  
No one's left to stop you (_repeat)_

_[Chorus]" _

Anywhere by Evanescence. The whole song is pretty perfect so I had to post it all. Sorry for taking up so much space!

* * *

Bella gasped as Edward's lips met hers. She briefly thought that this was impossible and couldn't be happening, but it was hard to deny the passion that was radiating through her. Edward groaned as Bella started to respond with equal force. He angled his head to deepen the kiss; he wanted as much of her as he could get. Edward slowly slid his hands down Bella's back, taking his time to feel every intricate curve of her spine. His hands finally landed on her waist. Bella moaned as Edward starting making small circles where her shirt didn't quite meet her jeans. The feeling of skin on skin in the most intimate place they'd been so far was indescribable. Bella decided to take initiative and ran her tongue delicately across Edward's perfect lips. Another groan erupted from his throat, and Bella found pleasure in feeling the vibration on her tongue and lips. Bella continued to lick until Edward opened his mouth and plunged his own tongue into her mouth.

Bella reveled in the new sensation as Edward's tongue caressed hers. The manner in which he did so was different than how he had been approaching the kiss. It was soft, delicate, and loving, as if he was trying to communicate what he was still too afraid to say. Their tongues danced in synchronized, sensual motions. They gave and took equally, both wanting to please their partner as much as they themselves were pleasured. Edward pulled back from the kiss and leaned his forehead against Bella's. Their breathing was heavy and their chests heaved. Their eyes opened simultaneously to gaze into the depth of their lover's orbs. Both saw many things: lust, passion, desire, happiness, adoration. But what specifically sparked their glee was the one thing they were both looking for, and both saw: love.

Edward, newly turned on by Bella's mutual emotions, swiftly picked Bella up and set her on the island. He stood between her legs as he started a prurient yet gentle attack on her neck. Bella leaned her head to the side to allow him better access, and he eagerly took advantage of the new angle. Edward nibbled his way up and down the expanse of her neck, physically showing her his desire. However, he soon followed his path with dove-like kisses, displaying to her the emotions that had arisen within. Bella's eyes watered at his obvious adoration for her. She softly slid her hands across his neck, where they had been gripping his hair, to cup his cheeks and bring his attention to her face. His eyebrows creased in immediate concerned as he saw the tears in her eyes, but she shook her head and smiled. Bella caressed his cheeks briefly before leaning forward to meet his lips in a sweet kiss. Edward smiled into the kiss and wrapped his arms fully around her body.

He could now feel every curve of her body on his. The contour of Bella's body fit perfectly against his, like she was the missing piece of his torso's puzzle. Edward couldn't wait to feel all of her body, every angle, curve, and bend, pressed against his, but he knew that now wasn't the time. Edward reluctantly pulled back from their kiss, but didn't release her from his embrace. He stared into her chocolate orbs and cupped her cheek. His thumb stroked her cheek in a delicate manner before he leaned forward to tenderly kiss her forehead. Bella then leaned into his chest and closed her eyes, and Edward rested his cheek on the top of her head and petted her hair affectionately in return.

Bella concentrated on nothing but the feeling of being in Edward's arms. It was still so hard to believe what had just happened. Edward really wanted her. He really cared for her. And, if she had really seen what she thought she did, he really _loved _her, just as much as she loved him. Bella held on to Edward tighter, trying to tell him what she didn't yet know how to say. Edward squeezed back after receiving her message.

"I guess we need to talk about this, huh?" Edward said, finally breaking the comfortable silence.

Bella pulled back from his hold just enough to look at his face.

"Yeah, I guess we do," she replied.

Edward picked Bella help and set her on the ground. He slipped his hand in hers, smiled, and escorted her to the living room. They sat next to each other on the couch. Bella sat Indian-style facing him, and Edward sat regularly with his body angled toward her. He still hadn't let go of her hand.

"So...," Bella started.

"So..."

Bella shrugged. "What are we doing here, Edward? What is this?"

Edward furrowed his brows and looked away from her, staring off in the distance. "Bella...I'm not sure of exactly what I feel for you. I don't know where this is going. I don't know if this is going to work. I don't know if this is supposed to happen. I don't know...I don't...remember how it is to feel anything like this. I haven't in a very, very long time. I don't know much, Bella."

He turned back to face her.

"The only thing I know is that...I wanna be with you, Bella. I want to give this a shot, despite what anyone thinks or says about it."

Edward looked deep into Bella's eyes. "I want more than just some girl. I want more than a foster kid. I want the 18-year-old woman that you are. I want...you."

Bella had to swallow back a lump as Edward referred to her previous speech. He wanted her. He wanted this.

"It's up to you, Bella. Do you...are you willing to give this a shot? To give _us _a shot?" he asked, as if he didn't already know the answer.

Bella slowly shook her head as a smile crept up on her face. Instead of replying, she leaned forward to give him what she had meant to be a chaste kiss. However, Edward had other plans and he put his hand on the back of her head, keeping her pressed to him. Bella gasped in surprised, but was eager to respond. She moved a hand to his toned chest and pressed down, motioning for him to lie back. Edward obeyed and moved his hands to her waist as she climbed on top of him. Bella moved her lips to his neck and mirrored his movements from earlier, nibbling then kissing top to bottom.

"Bella..." Edward whispered in a lustful voice.

His response edged Bella on so she moved her hands to his shirt. Edward's breathing hastened as she started to toy with the buttons. She slowly and sensually started to undo them, one...two...three...fo--

_Ding-Dong_

Edward groaned as the doorbell rang.

"Ignore it," Bella whispered against his lips and, to persuade him, started rubbing a hand across his chest. Edward leaned his head back against the armrest and closed his eyes in pleasure. The doorbell rang again, and whoever it was insisted on pressing it over and over. Bella sighed and got off of Edward.

"I'm sorry," he said before giving her a chaste kiss and walking to the door.

When Edward opened the door, his first instinct was to shut it right away. But his mother had taught him better.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked icily.

Tanya let out a sob before replying. "I know you hate me. You have every reason to. But I got kicked out of Broadway and I have no money and no place to go."

"So you thought of me?" Edward questioned with his teeth clenched. "Give me one reason why I should let you stay here."

"Because you're a good guy, Edward. And that's what good guys do."

Edward averted his gaze to the ground.

"It'll only be a few weeks, Edward. I promise. I just need to get through some things with the bank and I'll be gone. You won't even know I'm here."

Edward sighed. He hated this woman. His daughter was dead because of her. But Edward knew she was right. He was a so-called "good guy". He was taught that, if someone needed somewhere to stay, your house was that place. Esme would let her in, and so would he, no matter how much he wished she didn't exist.

"You've got two weeks from today. That's it. I don't care if everything is settled by then or not. Two weeks and you're gone," he said sternly.

Tanya nodded. "I understand. Thank you."

"Whatever."

Edward turned to go back inside. He left the door open for Tanya to come in, but didn't bother to escort her in. Tanya sighed and walked inside. To her surprise, there was a girl inside.

"And who might this be?" she asked, eying the girl carefully. She was pretty enough, Tanya supposed. A little on the young side, though.

"This is Bella," Edward replied. His tone hadn't changed. "She lives here."

"How nice," Tanya commented. She quickly noticed that Edward had snaked his arm around Bella's waist.

"You know where the guest room is, Tanya. Go there."

Bella turned to him with furrowed brows. "But my stuff is in the guest room..."

Edward sighed. "And move Bella's stuff to my room while you're at it."

"Yes, sir," Tanya mocked and trudged up the stairs.

Edward turned to Bella and wrapped his other arm around her waist.

"Is that okay with you?" he asked. "I don't wanna rush this if you're not ready."

"It's fine," Bella replied in a somewhat cold voice.

"What's wrong?" Edward question, concern evident in his voice.

Bella shrugged.

"Bella, please. You can tell me."

Bella looked up at him. "Do you really expect me to be okay with this? That's your ex-girlfriend, and now she's living here!"

"It's only for a few weeks."

Bella jerked out of his arms. "That doesn't make a difference! You were in love with her! You had a child together! A child that's gone now because of her! How could you just let her in?"

"It's who I am, Bella," Edward explained softly. "It's how I was raised."

Bella shook her head. "You're too good for your own good, Edward. There's such a thing as saying no."

"Not to someone who's poor and homeless."

Bella crossed her arms and looked away from him. Edward walked over to her and rubbed her arms in an up and down motion.

"Bella, look at me," he whispered.

She didn't move.

"Please, Bella," he begged.

She sighed and looked at him, but kept her arms crossed.

"Bella, there is absolutely _nothing _between me and Tanya. She's nothing but a human being to me. I'm sorry that letting her stay here upsets you. I don't like it either. But, Bella, you have to understand how guilty I would feel if I shut her out. She doesn't have friends. She doesn't have family. I'm not trying to make you feel bad for her, but she needs a roof over her head. Everyone deserves that much."

Edward lifted Bella's chin and gave her a quick kiss.

"You're all that matters to me, Bella. It's about us now. You're...everything. I need you to trust me, Bells. Just this once. Please trust me."

Bella blew out a breath and cocked her head to the left.

"I trust you," she whispered.

Edward smiled and kissed her. "So are we good?"

Bella smiled. "We're good."

Edward grinned once again before pulling her into an embrace.

* * *

"What is he doing?!" Renee exclaimed.

"I swear, if that boy does somethin' he ain't supposed to..." Charlie muttered with his arms folded, mirroring Bella's previous stance. "It was bad enough watchin' him feel up my daughter!"

"What's Daddy doing, Julian?" Hannah asked.

"He's helping someone out," Julian explained.

"But Tanya isn't a good person. Why is he helping her?"

Julian knelt down to her level. "In the end, are you judged for what people do to you, or what you do to them?"

"Oh," Hannah said, carrying out the word. "I get it."

Julian smiled and nodded before standing back up. He returned his gaze to the couple on Earth.

_Edward, what are you doing?_

* * *

I hope you don't hate me too much for bringing Tanya in. I know it's cliché and predictable, but we need some drama.

Review!


	16. Chapter 15

Thanks for the reviews! Nothing I write here is going to adequately excuse me for not posting for over 2 months. The best I can give you is that life got busy and I got distracted. And lazy.

I listened to "Girlfriend" by Avril Lavigne for this chapter. I'm not posting lyrics because they don't really match up. It just works. You'll find out why.

* * *

Bella woke up the next day with a smile on her face. Despite the fact that she hated Tanya and still couldn't understand why Edward would let her stay, she was grateful for the fact that she got "kicked out" of her room. The result? She awoke securely wrapped in Edward's arms, her head on his chest and one of her arms slung across his torso. Bella snuggled back into his chest for a brief moment, not yet ready to leave his warm embrace. However, she didn't want to wake him, so she carefully slid out of his arms and proceeded to the kitchen. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Tanya wasn't up yet.

There was one thing that Bella couldn't possibly deny. Tanya was beautiful. Her blond hair perfectly complemented her fair skin tone, and her pale blue eyes completed the flawless picture. Her curves were in all the right places, as was every hair on her little perfect head. Bella was jealous. How did she compare to Edward's former lover? The answer was simple. She didn't compare. At all.

"Hello, Bella."

Bella whipped around to see Tanya standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Bella recognized the tone of Tanya's voice, the look of her fake smile. This wasn't going to be fun.

"Good morning, Tanya," Bella greeted in a tone equal to Tanya's.

Tanya walked all the way into the room and positioned herself on the opposite side of the island. Bella fidgeted under her glare.

"Can I help you with something?" Bella asked through clenched teeth.

Tanya stood up tall and brushed her bangs out of her face.

"Well, you can tell me _what the hell_ you think you're doing."

Bella chuckled humorlessly. "Excuse me?"

"Please, Bella. We both know Edward doesn't _really _want you. He just feels sorry for you. I mean, who wouldn't? Look at you."

Tanya made a motion with her arm to prove her point.

Bella walked over to Tanya and stood in front of her.

"Look here, Tanya. Just because I'm not as beautiful as you doesn't mean anything. Edward _does _really want me. He said he does, and I believe him. He isn't with me for some pity fucking. And _you _do _not _intimidate me."

The doorbell rang, interrupting Tanya before she had a chance to make a comeback.

Tanya got in Bella's face and whispered, "We'll see about that." She purposely ran into Bella's side as she went to answer the door.

"Get out of my way, bitch. We're here for Bella," Rosalie snapped when Tanya answered the door.

"Rose? Alice?" Edward called as he walked in. "This is unexpected. What are you doing here?"

Rosalie and Alice pushed pass Tanya and entered the foyer where Bella and Edward stood.

"Well," Alice started, "Bella called us last night and informed us that _it _was here. So we came to rescue her for a day."

"I happen to have a name and it's--" Tanya started, but was promptly interrupted by Rosalie.

"No one was talking to you, _bitch_. Shut up."

Tanya was absolutely fuming, but knew from experience that Rosalie wasn't one to mess with. She stomped out of the room.

"C'mon, Bella. We're going shopping!" Alice excitedly exclaimed.

Edward chuckled at Bella's groan of protest. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"It's better than being here with Tanya all day, love," he whispered before kissing her head.

"I don't wanna leave you here with her, _alone_, all day," she whispered back. "I trust you to not do anything, but she's...you know."

Edward smiled.

"I appreciate your concern, sweetheart, but I can handle myself around Tanya. It won't be a problem. Go one, have some fun with my sister and Rose."

"Are you sure?"

Alice rolled her eyes and grabbed Bella's arm. "He's sure, Bella. Let's go! Time's a wastin'!"

Bella looked back and smiled at Edward before being shoved out the door.

* * *

"I am _not _wearing that," Bella proclaimed as Rosalie held up a dress. _That's not a dress,_ Bella thought. _That's barely enough material for a pair of underwear._

"Aw, c'mon, Bella," Alice begged. "Edward would absolutely _love_ it on you."

"Speaking of Edward..." Rosalie slyly interjected. "Has he screwed you senseless yet?"

Bella rolled her eyes.

"We just got together, guys. We're taking it slow."

"Pfft, slow my ass," Rosalie said. "I saw how he was looking at you."

Bella stared confusedly.

"He was undressing you with his eyes, Bella," Alice supplied.

Bella's eyes grew wide and her mouth opened.

"He was not!"

"Was too. And he was enjoying it."

Bella sighed.

"You guys are totally imagining things."

"That's what you said when we said Edward loved you," Alice said. "And look where you are now."

Bella shook her head and smiled at the thought of Edward. They hadn't yet said that they loved each other, but it was pretty much known to both of them. Mutually acknowledged, you could say.

They continued their shopping spree and, despite Bella's protests, she ended up with _many _what she would deem "racy" outfits and lingerie. They eventually made it home after a _long_ day of shopping and what they were met with when they returned made Bella's blood boil.

"C'mon, Eddie," Tanya cooed. "You _know_ you still want me."

Tanya was practically draped over Edward as he sat on the couch. His facial expression and body language screamed of annoyance.

"I _know_ I don't. I want Bella. I love her."

Bella smiled as her heart soared at his confession. _He loves me._

"Whatever, Edward. I know you. You like beautiful, generic blonds, like me. You don't want her. She's not very pretty, she's awkward, and she's poor. You don't like that."

"I _love_ her," Edward repeated.

Tanya sighed. "I don't know what's gotten into you, Eddie. How could you pass up a blond bombshell like me for an ugly, poor whore like her?"

"EXCUSE ME?!" Bella screamed as she stomped in the room.

"Well, hello, Bella," Tanya said in a sugary sweet voice. "Didn't see you there."

"Yeah, I'm sure you didn't," Bella retorted while giving all her bags to Rosalie and Alice. Her hands were about to be occupied. "_If you think you can get away with calling me a whore_..." Bella walked up to Tanya, getting in her face. "_You're wrong_."

Rosalie, Alice, and Edward all shared a look. Rosalie mouthed _girl fight. _

"I call 'em like I see 'em," Tanya icily replied.

"Then apparently you saw wrong because, if you saw me, you'd realize that kids in a foster home all have one thing in common: they know how to kick ass."

Tanya snorted. "I'd like to see you try. You're what, 5'5'? I've got five inches on you and about 20 pounds. You're skin and bones..._slut_."

All Tanya saw was a fist coming for her face.

Tanya landed, sprawled eagle, on the floor. The three observers stared at Bella in awe.

"You _bitch_! You _hit_ me! Do you know how much a face like this costs?!"

"I don't know, and I don't care," Bella replied before walking up to Tanya. She put a foot and her stomach and rested her weight on it. Tanya coughed.

"You listen up and you listen good," Bella started. "I don't _ever_ want to see you around _my_ Edward ever again. I don't even want you in this state. You keep your cheap, skanky ass _away_ from me, Edward, and his family. If I ever even _hear_ of you ever again, it's gonna be more than your face that's ruined. Got it?"

Bella removed her foot and took a step back. Tanya sucked in a breath before standing up.

"Bella, _dear_, if you think--"

"Get out, Tanya," Edward interjected, his tone ice cold. "Get out of my house right now. Get out of Washington. Everything Bella said is true. If you come near us again, there _will _be consequences. I tried to be nice, to be understanding, and you took advantage of it. Bella is my girlfriend now. She's my life, my love, my everything. We are _nothing._ Not even enemies can describe our relationship. Get out and stay away from me and my family. Now."

Tanya stood still, dumbstruck.

"He said now, bitch!" Rosalie barked. Tanya jumped and ran out the door, not even bothering to gather her belongings.

Edward moved toward Bella and softly grabbed her hand. Her knuckles were bleeding. Edward sighed.

"Let's get you cleaned up," he whispered.

"Me and Rose are gonna head out...if that's okay?" Alice said.

Edward nodded. He and Bella needed to talk, and he was grateful that Alice and Rosalie understood that.

Alice and Rosalie gave them both hugs, muttering thanks to Bella for punching Tanya, and left.

Edward led Bella into the kitchen and wet a cloth, proceeding to clean her hand in silence. His touch was angel soft, being careful not to apply too much pressure and cause her pain. She winced slightly a few times, to which he whispered an apology. When he was done, he threw the cloth in the sink, and once again picked up Bella's injured hand. He brought it to his lips and placed feather-light kisses on each individual cut before raising his gaze to Bella, who was seated on the island.

"Bella..." he softly said, remorse swimming in his eyes. "Bella, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I let her stay here. I don't know what I was thinking."

Bella smiled faintly. "You were being a good person, Edward. I understand."

He shook his head. "I should never have let her stay here. I should've known she was gonna try something. I gave her the benefit of doubt. I shouldn't've. I'm sorry, Bella."

Bella stroked his cheek with her thumb. "It's okay, Edward. I promise."

"I wanna make it up to you."

Bella shook her head. "Edward, you don't--"

"Yes, I do," he interrupted. "I want to. Let me make this up to you."

Bella sighed. She knew she wasn't going to win this fight.

"Fine," she reluctantly agreed. "But I don't want you spending a lot of money!"

He grinned. "I won't. Promise. Be ready to go out at say, 8 o'clock."

Bella raised an eyebrow. "Already got it planned?"

Edward shrugged. "Well, I've actually been wanting to do this, but I just haven't had an excuse. Now I do."

Bella shook her head and smiled. "Whatever you say."

"Wear something comfortable," he advised. "Especially with the shoes."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, 'cause I wear heels all the time."

Edward chuckled and stroked her hair before leaning in and giving her a soft kiss. It was much too short for Bella's liking, but sweet all the same.

"Go get ready," he whispered on her lips before giving her another chaste kiss and heading upstairs to get himself ready. Bella stared after him in wonder.

What did he have planned?

* * *

Review!


	17. Chapter 16

It saddens me to announce that this chapter will be our last. I was gonna write an epilogue, but I decided against it. I really would like to just leave it where it is. I'd like to thank everyone who ever took the time to review this story. It means the world to me that you read, liked, and reviewed. I especially thank those of you who reviewed every chapter and those of you who supported my beliefs and opinions that I inserted into this story. You guys are amazing.

Oh, so I changed where I wanted Edward to take Bella at the last minute, so **remember when he said be ready at 8? Let's pretend he said 8am.** That's the only way it'll work. I like this idea much, much better than the original idea.

* * *

"You are the strength that keeps me walking, you are the hope that keeps me trusting, you are the light to my soul, you are my purpose, you're everything...you calm the storms, and you give me breath, you hold me in your hands, you won't let me fall, you steal my heart, and you take my breath away, would you take me in?, take me deeper now...would you tell me how could it be any better than this?" - "Everything" by Lifehouse

* * *

"No."

"No?" Bella asked as she walked down the steps after getting ready to leave for Edward's surprise.

He nodded. "You're dressed too warmly."

Bella scrunched her eyebrows together. "It's cold today. And rainy. Just like every day."

Edward smiled and shook his head. "We aren't staying in Forks, Bel."

He chuckled at her surprised expression. "Get on something you'd wear to...Florida."

"Edward Anthony Cullen, if you're taking me all the way to Florida--"

"Relax, Bella. We aren't going to Florida. Just go change."

Bella rolled her eyes and went back upstairs while trying to figure out where he could be taking her. It was 45 degrees and rainy everywhere in Washington, which would mean they would have to be leaving the state. She looked through her closet, which was full, thanks to Alice and Rosalie, and settled on a navy blue tank top and mid-thigh length jean shorts, keeping on her tennis shoes. Edward nodded in approval when she came back to the kitchen, grabbed his keys, and they headed out the door.

Bella took note of every sign and exit they took, but it still didn't make sense. They had entered California, but deviated from the way they took to get to his parents' house. The car ride had been comfortably silent except for Bella's questions of where they were going. Edward would always smile, shake his head, and say to be patient. She eventually grew tired of bombarding him and stubbornly crossed her arms and looked out the window, but Edward was quick to grab her hand, kiss it gently, then rest it on the center console, softly stroking her palm with his thumb. Bella couldn't complain.

As they drove on, the area surrounding them became increasingly secluded until they eventually came to an end in the road.

"We're here," Edward announced, excitement evident in his voice.

Bella turned to him. "We're in the middle of nowhere."

Edward nodded, not taking note of her confusion. "You'll see."

He got out of the car and went over to open Bella's door. She smiled in gratitude before looking all around her. There was nothing. No house, no nature trail, nothing that showed any sign of civilization. Her observations were interrupted when Edward grabbed her hand and started leading her toward the woods.

"Are you taking me hiking? 'Cause you know I'm not the most graceful person around."

Edward squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I've got you, Bel."

"I'll still fall," she argued.

He turned to her with a soft smile and whispered, "I'll catch you."

Bella allowed a small smile to creep up on her face at his cheesy line. She was a sucker for sweet talk. Edward tugged on her hand, edging her on, and led her into the woods.

The hike was anything but relaxing. Bella tripped a total of sixteen times, but never completely fell, seeing as Edward never let go of her hand. She guessed they had been walking for about an hour when she started to notice light ahead.

"Oh, thank God," she muttered. Her legs and feet were screaming for her to stop.

Edward chuckled and continued walking. They stopped once they got to the edge of the woods and Edward turned to her with a grin.

"Prepare to be amazed, my love," he said and led her the rest of the way.

Amazed wasn't even close to describing it. Beyond the woods was this. A beach. An amazing, secluded, beautiful beach. It wasn't ruined by little kids running around; there were no footprints to take away the beauty of the sand. It was perfect. The crashing of the waves was calming and heard easily since there was no chatter of people to try to hear over. It was simply perfect. Bella's gaze continued down the beach where she spotted a nice little log cabin and behind it was...

"A helicopter?" Bella asked in astonishment.

Edward nodded.

"Edward, what is this place?"

"It's my beach," he started. "Everyone in my family has their own beach on the coast, along with their own cabin and helicopter. It started with my dad buying my mom an island for their tenth anniversary. My mom then decided that it'd be nice for us all to have our own private place to go to when we wanted to be alone. So for all of our high school graduations, we got our own beach. This one's mine."

Bella once again looked all around her. To say it was beautiful was an understatement. There were no ways to describe the beauty and tranquility of this place. It was indescribable.

"So," Edward rubbed his hands together as amusement danced in his eyes, "wanna take a ride in the helicopter?"

Bella's eyes widened in excitement. She squealed before grabbing his hand and running to the helicopter. Edward laughed all the way.

"You know how to fly this thing?" Bella asked while running her hands over the helicopter. It was silver metallic, just like his Volvo. Along the sides it simply read "Cullen, Ed." in a brilliant shade of red.

"All of us know how to fly them. Part of the graduation present was flying lessons," he explained.

He walked over to Bella and helped her into the passengers seat. He then walked over and got in his seat, flipped some switches, and they were off.

If Bella's breath was taken away before, it was impossible to describe what was happening to her now. The view from above was even more astounding than the from the ground. Bella gazed at the land below and couldn't help but wonder if maybe some day it wouldn't just be _his_ beach, but _their _beach instead. They deviated from the beach, breaking her train of thought, and follow the way of the ocean. Bella gasped and pointed every time they saw a dolphin jumping up. Edward smiled as joy filled his chest. To see Bella so happy, so gleeful, brought him the greatest bliss. This was how it should be. Her, by his side, happy as can be, the light finally back in her chocolate eyes. That was how it was meant to be.

After about half an hour in the air, they finally landed back on the island. Bella turned to Edward once they got out with a radiating smile.

"Edward, that was amazing!" she exclaimed. "You're most definitely forgiven."

Edward chuckled. "That wasn't even the best part, love."

Bella's eyes widened. "There's more?"

"Definitely. But that's for later." He planted a kiss on her head and grabbed her hand. "C'mon, I'm sure you're hungry. Let's get some dinner."

Edward took Bella inside the cabin. It was nothing particularly special; your average log cabin. It was spacious and had four bedrooms, obviously one for each couple of the family whenever they visited. Just like every other Cullen household, everything complemented each other, and it was all subtly designer. They entered the kitchen. It was simple, with just the basics needed for cooking, all stainless steel. Bella smiled. Everything about this place was perfect, especially the man standing before her.

Edward turned to Bella and cupped her cheek, gently stroking it with him thumb. Bella leaned into his touch and closed her eyes, feeling contentedness like never before. Edward leaned in and softly brushed his lips with hers in the softest of kisses. Bella kissed back with equal tenderness before Edward pulled away and smiled. He placed another kiss on her forehead before turning his attention to the kitchen.

"I'm not feeling anything fancy," he said. "Grilled cheese sound good?"

"Sounds perfect," Bella replied before taking a seat at the table. Seeing Edward go around the kitchen easily sent Bella into a daydream. She saw little kids running around, giggling with merriment. They would have Edward's bronze hair and emerald eyes, her full lips and high cheek bones. They would come here every summer and enjoy the privacy of the beach. Their cares would fly away with the wind the second they came here. Maybe the rest of the family would join in on their mini vacation. Rosalie and Emmett would have 2.5 kids and she'd be complaining that her growing belly looked bad in a bikini, but Emmett would assure her that she would always be beautiful to him. Alice and Jasper would have kids from many different nationalities, seeing as Alice was always interested in adoption. They might have a few of their own, too. Carlisle and Esme would be the proudest grandparents, and most likely spoil them to death. But the most important thing was that they were a family and they were there, together. Edward's snapping fingers broke Bella out of her reverie.

"Huh?" Bella groaned.

Edward chuckled. "I said do you want tomato soup with your grilled cheese?"

"Oh. Uh, yeah, sure. Sounds good."

Edward smiled before putting their plates together, setting Bella's in front of her, and sitting down. They ate in silence for a while before Edward spoke.

"What were you daydreaming about?" he asked.

Bella blushed. "Nothing important."

"All of your dreams are important to me."

Bella waved her hand in dismissal. "Really, it was nothing. Just...stupid daydreaming."

Edward shook his head in disapproval, but dropped it, and they ate the rest of their meal in silence.

"Bella," Edward started, "I'm gonna clean up the dishes real quick then I'm gonna take you outside to see something. But you're gonna have to be blindfolded for the surprise to work. Okay?"

Bella sighed. "Another surprise?"

Edward grinned. "You'll love it. I promise. And I didn't spend a penny on it. Swear."

Bella shook her head, but smiled. "Okay, Cullen. Blindfold me."

Edward picked up their dishes and put them in the sink before leaving the room to quickly get a blindfold. Bella stood as Edward reentered the room. He walked behind her and tied the blindfold before waving a hand in front of her.

"See anything?" he asked.

"Nope," Bella replied.

Edward leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Bella gasped in surprise. His kiss was gentle and sensual. Bella wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her waist. His tongue softly stroked her bottom lip until she granted him access. Their tongues danced together in lustful yet loving synchronization. The way his lips moved against hers sent her the only message she needed to know.

She was his, and he was hers.

Edward pulled back slowly and gave her a chaste kiss before interlocking their fingers and leading her out the door.

Edward only lead them about 25 feet away from the cabin before stopping. He turned Bella around to face the ocean, kissed her hair, and undid her blindfold. Bella gasped at the sight before her.

"The northern lights," she whispered in awe. Angelic cascades of green, pink, and orange waded above her in the night sky. "Edward, this is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"Yeah," he replied softly while staring at her. "It is."

Bella blushed at his compliment.

"Lay down with me," he said before bring her down to the sand with him. He wrapped his arm around her as she curled into his chest, both staring at the colorful display.

"I'm sorry about yesterday," Bella said. "It really isn't like me to hit and threaten people. I don't know what came over me."

Edward brushed his lips against her bruised knuckles before responding.

"You have absolutely nothing to apologize for, love. In fact, I should be thanking you. We've all wanted to hit Tanya since the day we found out Hannah had cancer. You're the one that finally had the guts to do it."

Bella sighed contentedly. "It's just that...when I heard what she was saying, when I heard her trying to take you away from me...the thought of you not being with me...I couldn't imagine it. It didn't make sense to me. A world where I existed without you...it wasn't possible. I was just—I was so scared. I was so scared you'd take her up on her offer and leave me."

"Bella..." Edward whispered. "Bella, look at me."

She shifted her position so she could look up at him.

"Bella, there is absolutely _nothing_ in this world, in this _universe_, that could separate me from you. If you hadn't come along, who knows what might've happened. I was depressed and alone. I saw no reason for living anymore. But then you came. Bella, you _are_ my reason for living. You give me the strength to wake up every day and live life. You make me _want_ to get up every day. Because every day that I wake up is another day I get to spend with you. I treasure every single moment we spend together. They mean everything to me."

Edward cupped Bella's face in his hands.

"_You_ mean everything to me, Bella."

He caressed her cheeks before looking into her eyes. "The thought of not having you, of not being with you--it kills me, too, because, Bella...Bella, I love you. I love you. With everything in me, every fiber of my being, with every beat of my heart, I love you. More and more each day. And if you let me, I'll continue to love you for...the rest of eternity."

Edward's thumbs brushed away the tears Bella hadn't noticed she was shedding.

"You never have to be alone ever again, sweetheart. I'll never leave you or forsake you or anything like that. I'll be there and I'll love you, every single day of my life. I need you, Bella. I need you and want you so much. All of you."

Bella mustered a watery smile.

"You have me, Edward," she whispered back. "You've always had me, and you always will. I need you, too. You gave me hope, Edward. I had given up on everything. I didn't care anymore. You gave me purpose. You brought me peace for the first time in eight years. You made me happy to be alive. You made me look forward to the days I could spend with you. You made me human again. You made me..." She took a deep breath. "You made me love you."

Edward smiled.

"You love me?" he asked in a low voice, already knowing the answer.

Bella nodded. "Yes. Yes, Edward, I love you."

They both grinned before Edward covered her lips with his in an eager kiss. Bella smiled into the kiss before responding and putting her hands in his hair. Edward rolled them over and continued his gentle assault on her lips.

"I love you, baby. So much," he muttered against her lips before moving his attention to her neck. Bella moaned at his dove-like kisses against her skin, each one proclaiming his undying passion for her. He moved lower to her shoulders, showing them equal tenderness. Edward skimmed his hands up her sides and down again before moving them under her shirt to rest on her toned stomach. Bella moaned at the contact. Everywhere he touched and everywhere he kissed left the skin feeling red hot. Compassion, lust, and love flowed through his fingertips and his lips, eventually reaching the depths of her soul. The reaction was vice versa as Bella gently messaged Edward's neck, her love working out the kinks that had been there for too many long years.

"Edward," she murmured. She put her hands on his cheeks to direct his attention back to her lips. Their tongues teased each other, neither giving nor taking control.

"Edward," Bella once again muttered against his lips. He looked up at her.

"Love me," she whispered.

And he did, for better or for worse, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, for as long as eternity endured.

* * *

I don't know if you can see the northern lights from California...but you can in my story!

Sigh. That's all, folks. Thank you again for sticking around for the ride!


	18. Razzle Dazzle Awards!

Hey everyone! I just got back from vacation and saw that this story has been nominated for Best Angst on Razzle Dazzle! Thank you for everyone who read and reviewed and please go take the time to vote! I love you guys!

http://razzledazzleawards(dot)webs(dot)com/


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